At least eight people, feared to include several children, have been stabbed in Southport, where a man with a knife was arrested.
Merseyside police said they were responding to a “major incident” at a property in the seaside town in north-west England, where there were “a number of reported casualties”.
It is believed the stabbings took place at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class aimed at children between the ages of six and 11 in a studio on Hart Street, which also hosts antenatal and hypnobirthing classes.
Emergency service workers including paramedics and firefighters could be seen with their heads in their hands after the initial response to the stabbing.
Police said they were called to the scene on Hart Street at about 11.50am on Monday, where armed police detained a male and seized a knife. The male has been taken to a police station and there was no wider threat to the public, the force said.
North West ambulance service (NWAS) said it had treated eight patients with stab injuries who had been taken to Alder Hey children’s hospital, Aintree university hospital, and Southport and Formby hospital.
We're attending a major incident on Hart Street, Southport following reports of multiple stabbings in which we have dispatched multiple resources.
— North West Ambulance Service (@NWAmbulance) July 29, 2024
We're assessing the situation and working with emergency partners.
Please follow our channels and @MerseyPolice for further updates.
Alder Hey children’s hospital said the trust had “declared a major incident” and asked parents to only bring their children to the “extremely busy” emergency department in urgent cases.
While eight injuries have been confirmed so far by NWAS, there were concerns the toll may rise further.
Local residents and business owners described horrific scenes following the attacks, including children bleeding in the street and parents screaming as they tried to locate their child.
Alaina Riley, 18, said her aunt, who lives across the road from the venue, called her “screaming down the phone” and said she witnessed “little kids run out screaming covered in blood” and two staff members “crawling” out of the building.
Riley said her aunt saw parents running out of the dance class carrying children covered in blood and attempting to resuscitate them.
“She said she watched parents resuscitating them out on the front, the parents had grabbed hold of them. I think it was pickup time,” Riley said. “She said she had never heard screams like it. She was distraught and in an absolute state on the phone to me.”
The prime minister said the incident in Southport was “horrendous and deeply shocking”. “My thoughts are with all those affected,” Keir Starmer said in a statement. “I would like to thank the police and emergency services for their swift response. I am being kept updated as the situation develops.”
Pictures from the scene showed dozens of people crowded around a cordon blocking off most of the street, with many police cars and ambulances.
The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said she was “deeply concerned” about the “very serious incident” in Southport. “All my thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected,” she said. “I have spoken to the Merseyside police and crime commissioner to convey full support to the police and thanks to the emergency services responding.”
The Southport MP Patrick Hurley said: “I am hoping for the best possible outcomes to the casualties affected. My thoughts go out to all those affected, their loved ones and to the entire community.
“The police have confirmed that an individual involved in the attack has now been detained. I am repeating the advice of the police to avoid the area while the police and ambulance teams support this incident.”
