Southport FC cancel pre-season clash and offer ‘specialist support’ after knife rampage at Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop leaves two children dead and 11 people hurt
Southport FC have confirmed that their pre-season friendly against Morecambe on Tuesday will be cancelled following a horrific incident in the area, which left two children dead and 11 people injured in a fatal stabbing.
Two children were killed and nine others injured, six seriously, after a horrific attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop in the Merseyside town on Monday morning.
Armed police and paramedics descended on Southport just before midday after a knife-wielding man burst into the local dance school and carried out a ‘savage attack’, leaving mothers screaming in fear as they picked up their children.
In addition to the two fatalities, eleven others, including nine children, were stabbed during the sold-out dance, yoga and bracelet-making workshop, which was almost over.
Six children are now fighting for their lives in hospital, as are two adults who police say “courageously tried to protect them” from the attack at Hart Space Studios on Hart Street.
Southport FC have confirmed the cancellation of their pre-season friendly against Morecambe on Tuesday
Police in Southport, Merseyside, where a 17-year-old has been arrested and a knife seized
Southport FC confirmed the cancellation of Tuesday’s match in a social media post on X
Forensic officers on Hart Street in Southport, Merseyside, after a shocking knife attack
The horrific nature of the attack was revealed in a press conference update Monday evening
The madness took place at the end of a Taylor Swift dance workshop at Hart Space Studios (pictured) in Southport
The city’s National League team were due to play League Two club Morecambe at the local stadium on Tuesday evening, but have now decided to cancel the match out of respect.
Instead, they are opening the clubhouse lounge to those in need of support and expert staff will be on hand to help victims of the horrific incident in Southport.
The club wrote the following on X: ‘In light of today’s tragic events and following extensive consultation with relevant local stakeholders, we have decided to cancel tomorrow evening’s friendly against Morecambe FC. We do this out of respect for those who have so tragically lost their lives and for those who will be deeply affected by this terrible tragedy.
‘Our thoughts and prayers from everyone at Southport FC are with those affected and we extend our deepest condolences to all those affected.
‘The club would like to reiterate that the club lounge will be open tomorrow from 10am to 3pm for anyone who wishes to come together, share thoughts and find support during this difficult time.
‘Specialist support staff will be on hand to provide assistance and comfort to those who require it. For those who have purchased tickets, we will provide information on refunds in the coming days.’
Meanwhile, a 17-year-old boy from the nearby Lancashire village of Banks remains in custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Merseyside Police confirmed the teenager was originally from Cardiff but lived in Banks and is believed to have arrived in a taxi as his parents were picking up their children from the workshop.
Police, fire brigade and ambulance personnel were all seen on site this afternoon
Emergency services and forensic teams arrived at the scene after 13 people were stabbed
Police maintain screens at the scene of the tragic stabbing incident on Hart Street in Southport
Two children were killed in the stabbing attack, police announced in an update on Monday.
The attack took place at a ‘Taylor Swift themed workshop’ on Hart Street in Southport. Police later also set up a cordon around a housing estate on Old School Close, around 15 minutes from the scene
Police said they received a report of a stabbing in Southport at 11.47am. Emergency services were rushed to the scene. Alder Hey Children’s Hospital later said it was a ‘serious incident’.
Detectives are still trying to establish the motive behind the attack. Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, of Merseyside Police, told a news conference: ‘My officers were called to a report of a stabbing at an address in Southport at 11.47am this morning.
‘When they arrived, they were shocked to see that several people, many of them children, had been victims of a violent attack and seriously injured.
‘It is understood the children were attending a Taylor Swift event at a dance hall when the perpetrator, armed with a knife, entered the premises and began attacking the children inside.
“We are confident that the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were attacked.”
King Charles said he and Queen Camilla were “deeply shocked” by the “utterly appalling incident”
Flowers and a stuffed animal can be seen behind the police cordon
Forensic workers can be seen at the scene of the accident as emergency services battle to save children
A police officer lays flowers at the scene of a multiple stabbing
Armed police officers have arrested a man and seized a knife following the attack which left several people injured in Southport, Merseyside
The community has been shocked by the massacre that left two children dead and nine others injured
Following the press conference, King Charles issued a statement saying: ‘My wife and I were deeply shocked to hear of the terrible incident that occurred in Southport today.
‘We extend our sincere condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who so tragically lost their lives, and to all those affected by this truly horrific attack.’
Former England and Liverpool striker Michael Owen was also among those to publish his thoughts, saying: ‘I just can’t find the words. I literally feel sick of the world we live in. The country we live in.
‘Every F****** day something happens that makes my stomach turn. And today is a new low. My prayers are with everyone affected by the shocking events in #Southport.’