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Southport stabbings – what we know so far about the knife attack

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Image description, Eight people were treated on site for stab wounds, the emergency services said

Young children are believed to be among the eight people injured in a knife attack in Southport during a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga event for primary school children.

Merseyside Police said armed officers “arrested a 17-year-old male” and seized a knife after being called to a property in the city.

Here’s what we know about the attack so far.

  • Author, Jeremy Culley
  • Role, BBC News

How did it develop?

Police were called to a stabbing in Hart Street, Southport, at around 11.50am (BST) on Monday.

They described the incident as a “serious incident” and said there were numerous casualties.

The North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) said it had treated eight patients with stab wounds.

The victims were taken to Aintree University Hospital, Southport and Formby Hospital and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

It said 13 ambulances, special forces from the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), a rescue plane and doctors had been dispatched.

Alder Hey said it was a major emergency and urged parents to only take their children to the emergency room in urgent cases.

Doctors from the Great North Air Ambulance rescue helicopter provided “advanced emergency care” to a patient and accompanied him by land to the hospital.

Where did the attack take place?

Further information on the injured is not yet available, but witnesses report that they saw children among the victims.

The incident occurred at a “Taylor Swift Yoga and Dance Workshop” aimed at elementary school children ages six to ten.

Eye on Southport journalist Tim Johnson arrived at the scene about 20 minutes after the call to police.

He said the incident occurred at the Hope of Hart children’s club, which is housed in a former warehouse on a side street.

He saw a seriously injured girl on a stretcher and said: “It was horrific, I have never seen anything like it.”

Mr Johnson said that paramedics were among the “people crying in the streets”.

What do we know about the suspect?

Merseyside Police confirmed that armed police had “arrested a man and seized a knife” following the incident and said there was no major threat to the public.

Police later said that a 17-year-old boy from Banks, a village in Lancashire north of Southport, had been arrested in connection with the stabbing and was in police custody.

He is being questioned about the incident and police said they are working to determine the motive for the attack.

Police confirmed that the incident is not currently being treated as terrorist-related and said no one else is being sought in connection with the incident.

Old School Close in Banks, about a 15-minute drive from the crime scene, was cordoned off and officers were stationed outside a house.

The Liverpool Echo reported that an operation there was linked to the stabbings, but this has not been confirmed.

What did witnesses say?

video subtitles, Southport stabbings: No one can believe it, says local nurse

An eyewitness at the scene said the scene looked like something out of a “horror film.”

Colin Parry, the owner of Masters Vehicle Body Repairs on Hart Street, who called police, said he believed six or seven “young girls” had been stabbed.

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

A neighbour, with the help of another, brought “about ten girls to safety” in his house, Mr Parry told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“The community came together, everyone tried to help,” he said. “Everyone tried to save the little children.”

He said another man, a construction worker, also helped some children leave the scene of the attack.

A local father, who wished to remain anonymous, said his daughter was “traumatized” by the attack.

He said: “My daughter was there and she was traumatized.

“She ran away and is safe.”

Joanne, a therapy nurse who lives in the area, says she lost her job after receiving a call from a friend about having to ensure the safety of her daughters.

She says one of her daughters heard “a pretty scary scream” while she was in the garden around the time of the incident.

“Nobody can believe it. All the mothers in the area have been asking each other. I am sure we all know someone from this poor group,” she adds.

How have policy makers responded?

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the numerous stabbings as “appalling and deeply shocking” and thanked the emergency services for their intervention.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The news from Southport is truly devastating. My sincere condolences go out to all the families affected by this terrible incident and to the wider community.”

Patrick Hurley, MP for Southport, added that he hoped for “the best possible outcome for the victims involved”.

Steve Rotheram, mayor of Liverpool City Region, said he was “deeply concerned” to hear of the incident and urged the public not to spread “unconfirmed speculation and false information”.

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