‘Traumatised children’ fleeing for their lives as Southport knife attack leaves two dead and several injured

29 July 2024, 15:23 | Updated: 29 July 2024, 19:07

'Traumatised children' fled for their lives as an attacker in Southport fatally stabbed two children and injured several others.

A local parent, who did not wish to be named, said his daughter was "traumatised" by the attack.

He said: "My daughter was in it and she was traumatised. She ran away and she's safe."

At least eight victims, who are being treated for stab injuries, have been taken to three hospitals, including Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Merseyside.

A man has been arrested and a knife has been seized, the force have confirmed.

A resident, who did not want to be named, told LBC: "All I could see was one green body bag on the floor outside where it happened."

He added: "It's just eerie down there. There's a weird atmosphere from my garden. All the police are silent. It's very quiet... every breath feels quite hard down there, it's hard to explain."

He said his Mum had "seen the bodies" and described the scene as like something "straight out of a crime horror".

Another resident told LBC: "I think it's something horrific that is happening and I'm praying it wasn't the father of one of the children who did it, because that's the worry. I'm hoping it was just a deranged stranger.

"This is a family road, 90% of these houses either have children or grandchildren, it's very much a family area."

Read more: Eight people - including children - treated for stab wounds after knifeman arrested in Southport after rampage

One resident, who lives on Hart Street but did not want to be named, said he was at home about midday when a woman pulled up outside in her car, screaming.

He said: "She was screaming 'my daughter's been stabbed'.

"The woman was in hysterics. Then two police cars rushed up the street the other way.

"It was a mum with her 10-year-old daughter who had been stabbed.

"I helped to get her back up to where the police cars and ambulances were.

"She didn't look great but my focus was on getting her back up the street to get help.

"When I got back up the street there were a couple of kids on the floor being seen to by paramedics and, as I came back, more police cars were going down and more ambulances gradually started to arrive."

Eye-witness Bare Varathan, 35, who owns a corner shop on Hart Street, said he was called by a staff member who told him, "Boss, get to the shop!"

He said: "I saw seven to ten kids outside the nursery. They were injured, bleeding. They were in the road, running from the nursery.

"They had been stabbed, here, here, here, everywhere. (Mr Varathan indicated the neck, back and chest area).

"They were all aged about ten. One of them was really seriously injured.

"I hope they will be OK. Only two police jeeps and ambulances arrived, then armed police came and took him out of the nursery.

"Somebody told me he had arrived in a taxi and had a knife."

Read more: ‘One child dead’ and others injured after mass stabbing at ‘Taylor Swift-themed’ summer holiday club in Southport

A local business owner, who was one of the people who called the police, said the incident in Southport was like a "scene in a horror movie."

Colin Parry, owner of Masters Vehicle Body Repairs on Hart Street, said: "The mothers are coming here now and screaming. It is like a scene from a horror movie."

"It's like something from America, not like sunny Southport."

The attack is thought to have taken place at a children's holiday club in a residential area.

Merseyside Police have declared a "critical police incident".

A large police cordon has been put up around the building on Hart Road, police officers guarding either end.

Officers and vehicles can be seen from a distance inside the cordon, including scenes-of-crime officers in white boiler suits.

Dozens of police cars, vans, fire engines and ambulances are also assembled a short distance away at a local school.