Community in mourning after three girls killed in knife attack

Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice Dasilva Aguiar and Bebe King died after the attack

The three girls who were killed in a "ferocious" knife attack at a children's dance workshop have been named by police.

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, died after the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed event on Hart Street, Southport, on Monday.

On Tuesday, there was an emotional vigil on the town's streets, where thousands gathered to remember the three girls.

But there were violent scenes nearby hours later, when 39 police officers were injured - eight seriously - in clashes with rioters, which also saw a mosque attacked and an emergency vehicle set alight.

Tributes have been left close to the scene of the attack on Hart Street

Some of the crowd threw missiles at officers and the mosque.

Merseyside Police said supporters of the far right English Defence League were behind the violence, which Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss described as "sickening".

He said it would have involved "many people who do not live in the Merseyside area or care about the people of Merseyside".

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also condemned the "scenes of thuggery", which she said "bear no relation" to a community that had been coming together to support each other.

As well as the three girls killed in Monday's stabbing, five children and two adults who were injured remain in a critical condition.

Bebe’s family said "no words" could describe the "devastation that has hit our family", while Alice's parents said she would always be "our princess and no-one would change that".

In a tribute from her "Hero Daddy and Mummy", Alice's parents said: "Keep smiling and dancing like you love to do, our princess."

Elsie was described by a teacher at her primary school as "loving and bright" and a "caring and charismatic young lady".

Leanne Lucas was understood to be the teacher running the Taylor Swift-themed dance event

Tributes have also been paid to yoga teacher Leanne Lucas, thought to be 35 and among those currently in hospital, who the BBC understands was running the summer holiday dance and yoga class.

"Your bravery has touched the heart of the nation, we are all praying for you and the families affected," one Instagram user said.

"Thoughts and prayers are with you Leanne, keep fighting," another wrote.

'Shine bright little ones'

Merseyside Police said a 17-year-old boy, from Banks in Lancashire, who was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, remains in custody.

The force said it was not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack, which it added was not being "treated as terror-related".

The BBC can report that the teenage suspect, whose parents are from Rwanda, was born in Cardiff and moved to the Southport area in 2013.

It is understood that detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing North West have been actively providing support to the investigation.

A police representative said a name shared online in connection with the suspect was "incorrect" and urged people "not to speculate on details of the incident while the investigation is ongoing".

Thousands of people turned out to pay their respects at a vigil in Southport

A personal trainer who intervened in the stabbing told Sky News about "locking eyes" with the attacker.

Joel Verite said he rushed to help after seeing a woman covered in blood and saw the attacker holding a knife at the top of the stairs.

"I open the door downstairs... there's a guy at the bottom of the stairs with a full tracksuit, his hood up, with a knife," he said.

"We've looked at each other and he's scurried off to the side."

He said what he saw would "probably stay with me for the rest of my life".

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Thousands of people joined the vigil outside the Atkinson building in Southport, which began at 18:00 BST.

Flowers were laid for those who affected by the attack, while those who had gathered applauded the efforts of the emergency services who had responded.

A minute's silence was observed in honour of the girls who died and those who were injured.

Addressing the crowd, Sefton Mayor June Burns said she hoped the vigil would offer support to the families of those killed and injured, adding that it was "hard to find the words at such a horrendous time".

Local residents have left flowers, cards and teddies by the police cordon close to the scene.

Churches have opened to give people a place to gather and several shops and pubs have closed as a mark of respect.

Sefton Council said it had launched a dedicated webpage providing information about help and support and would do "whatever it takes” to support the community as it dealt with the impact of "one of the saddest days in the borough’s history".

Council leader Marion Atkinson said there had been some "truly amazing acts of kindness" since the tragic events and while it would "take time for us to come to terms with this... we will stay strong together".

She added that the "offers of support" that the council had received "from across the world [were] much appreciated".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he came to pay his "respects to the families and the victims"

In total, 11 patients with stab injuries were treated by the ambulance service and some were taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, which declared a major incident.

A spokeswoman for Alder Hey said two of the seven children who had been brought there for treatment remained in "critical care, but currently in a stable condition".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who followed Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in visiting the scene of the attack, said he had come to pay his "respects to the families and the victims who are going through raw pain and grief".

"As a father myself, I can't imagine what they're going through," he said.

He told emergency crews he was "incredibly proud of what you did" in responding to the attack, adding: "I'm amazed, but not surprised, that you're in today, carrying on with your duties."

"I wanted to shake their hands and say on behalf of the entire country 'thank you for what you did yesterday', because that was no ordinary challenge that they ran towards," Sir Keir said.

"They have saved lives and sometimes it's very important to come and personally say 'thank you'."

'Heinous attack'

Shadow home secretary James Cleverly called for people not to "get involved in the grief of others" by sharing misinformation relating to the attack on social media.

"Enough people are already distressed without their distress being amplified by speculation and gossip online," he added.

Taylor Swift posted a message of condolence on Instagram

Singer Taylor Swift said she was "completely in shock" after the "horror" of the knife attack.

Her fans had raised more than £200,000 for the victims' families by Tuesday evening.

Several other fundraisers have also been launched for those caught up in the attack.

King Charles previously paid tribute to "all those affected by this truly appalling attack".

Additional reporting by Chris Long and Monica Rimmer