Two kids have been killed and 9 injured, six critically, in a “ferocious” knife assault at a kids’s dance workshop.

Two adults are additionally in a vital situation after being stabbed as they tried to guard kids on the Taylor Swift-themed occasion on Hart Road in Southport, Merseyside Police stated.

A 17-year-old boy, from Banks in Lancashire, has been arrested on suspicion of homicide and tried homicide.

Police stated the motivation for the assault was “unclear” nevertheless it was not being handled as terror-related.

One witness described the scene as “horrendous” and stated that they had “by no means seen something prefer it”.

The King and the prime minister have led tributes to the victims, providing their “heartfelt condolences” to these affected.

Merseyside Police declared a significant incident after receiving emergency calls at 11.47 BST, on what was the primary full week of the varsity summer time holidays for a lot of kids within the UK.

Armed response automobiles, 13 ambulances and the hearth service rushed to the dance class, which was being held for kids aged six to 10.

Chief Constable Serena Kennedy instructed a information convention that officers responding to the calls “have been shocked” to seek out that a number of folks, a lot of whom have been kids, had been subjected to a “ferocious assault” and had suffered critical accidents.

“It’s understood that the youngsters have been attending a Taylor Swift occasion at a dance faculty when the offender armed with a knife walked into the premises and began to assault the youngsters,” she stated.

“We imagine that the adults who have been injured have been bravely attempting to guard the youngsters who have been being attacked.”

She added: “As a mum of two daughters, and the nana of a five-year-old granddaughter, I can’t start to think about the ache and struggling the households of the victims are at present going by means of and I need to ship them our heartfelt condolences and sympathies”.

Ms Kennedy stated the 17-year-old suspect, who police stated was born in Cardiff, will now be questioned by detectives.

Merseyside Police stated it was not in search of anybody else in reference to the assault and that the “motivation for the incident stays unclear”.

Ms Kennedy added that Counter Terrorism Police North West had supplied their help to Merseyside Police however that the incident was not at present being handled as terror-related.

Journalist Tim Johnson, from Eye on Southport, stated the assault occurred on the Hope of Hart kids’s membership, which is housed in a former warehouse constructing on a again avenue.

“It was horrendous. I’ve by no means seen something prefer it,” Mr Johnson stated.

“There have been so many police vehicles, it was a mass of blue lights. I noticed ambulance women and men in tears. Individuals have been in tears within the streets.”

Alder Hey Youngsters’s Hospital declared a “main incident”, whereas the North West Ambulance Service stated it had despatched 13 ambulances to the scene.

Dave Kitchin, head of operations on the ambulance service, stated they handled 11 casualties on the scene, who have been despatched by emergency ambulance and heli-med to Alder Hey and Royal Manchester Youngsters’s hospitals, Aintree College Hospital, Southport and Formby District Normal Hospital and Ormskirk District Normal Hospital.

He described the scene that met paramedics as “devastating”, including, “little doubt this incident may have a long-lasting affect on the entire neighborhood, and our ideas are very a lot with them at this tough time”.

Nice North Air Ambulance Service confirmed its vital care workforce was additionally despatched to the scene.

A spokesman added: “We delivered superior emergency care to at least one affected person earlier than accompanying them to hospital by street.”

Colin Parry, proprietor of Masters Car Physique Repairs, which is subsequent door to the place the assault occurred, stated that shortly earlier than it started there was a commotion exterior as a result of a younger man carrying a inexperienced hoodie and a face masks had arrived by taxi however was refusing to pay the motive force.

He stated an worker referred to as him again out a short while later and that he noticed quite a few “younger children, all bleeding”.

“It is like one thing from America, not like sunny Southport.”

Mr Parry instructed BBC Radio 5 Dwell {that a} builder helped lead a few of the kids away from the scene of the assault and neighbours helped take “about 10 ladies to security”.

“The neighborhood was coming collectively, everybody was attempting to assist. Everybody was attempting to avoid wasting the younger children,” he added.

In a press release on X, The King stated he and his spouse have been “profoundly shocked” to listen to of the “totally horrific incident”.

He added: “We ship our most heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies to the households and family members of those that have so tragically misplaced their lives, and to all these affected by this actually appalling assault.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales referred to as the assault “horrid and heinous” including that they have been sending “love, ideas and prayers to all these concerned”.

They stated on X: “As dad and mom, we can’t start to think about what the households, pals and family members of these killed and injured in Southport at this time are going by means of.

“Thanks additionally to the emergency responders who, regardless of being met with probably the most horrific scenes, demonstrated compassion and professionalism when your neighborhood wanted you most.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated: “I do know the entire nation is deeply shocked about what they’ve seen and what they’ve heard.

“I do know I converse for everybody in the entire nation in saying, our ideas and condolences are with the victims, their households, their pals and the broader neighborhood and it’s nearly not possible to think about the grief that they’re going by means of, and the trauma that they’re going by means of.

“I do need to thank the emergency providers and Merseyside Police who’ve had to answer probably the most tough of circumstances at this time.”

Southport FC, whose floor is only some streets from the scene of the assault, stated it had cancelled a pre-season pleasant towards Morecambe FC scheduled for Tuesday “out of respect to those that have so tragically misplaced their lives”.

It additionally stated its membership lounge can be open between 10:00 and 15:00 BST on Tuesday and specialist help workers accessible for anybody who wished to “collect, share their ideas, and discover help throughout this tough time”.

Everton Soccer Membership and Liverpool Soccer Membership additionally supplied their condolences to all these affected.

Residence Secretary Yvette Cooper stated she was “deeply involved” concerning the “very critical incident”, whereas Southport MP Patrick Hurley added that he was “hoping for the absolute best outcomes to the casualties affected”.

Steve Rotheram, mayor of Liverpool Metropolis Area, has urged the general public to not unfold “unconfirmed hypothesis and false data”.

Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell stated she was “totally shocked and devastated” to listen to of the “actually appalling” incident.

Councillor Marion Atkinson, Chief of Sefton Council, stated the council was “deeply shocked and saddened on the tragic occasions”.

“Our ideas are with all of the victims of this assault and their households,” she stated.

“I’d prefer to thank all those that responded to the incident and helped in any means they may in what will need to have been extraordinarily tough circumstances.

“We all know this has induced concern and upset in the area people and whereas there is no such thing as a speedy risk to the general public we might be offering assist and help within the coming days and weeks”.

A fundraiser for the victims and their households has been arrange by a gaggle of Taylor Swift followers, named “Swifties for Southport”.

Cristina Jones, from the UK and EU Taylor Swift Fb group instructed BBC Newsbeat: “The concept that these dad and mom are going by means of hell proper now and the thought that they had any monetary stress over this breaks our hearts.”

“We won’t make it higher in any means. However taking away some stress was positively a precedence for us”, she added.

Further reporting by PA Media.