Clashes have erupted in the streets of Southport just a day after the stabbing attack which killed three children.
A large crowd gathered outside a mosque on Tuesday evening and clashed with police as riot vans and officers swooped in.
A number of police officers have suffered what appeared to be minor injuries in chaotic scenes outside the mosque, with officers donning helmets and riot gear as they faced a barrage of stones and bottles launched from the crowd.
Firecrackers could be heard going off along with multiple police sirens sounding, amid chants of “No surrender” and “English ’till I die” from sections of the crowd.
One group of men, many wearing masks and hoodies, were seen in a running battle with officers outside the mosque as more police arrived.
Police donned riot gear as violence erupted in Southport
Patrick Hurst/PA
Hundreds of youths and men alongside a large police presence remain on the roads surrounding Hart Street, where yesterday’s attack took place.
Shocked local residents were seen out on the streets as Southport’s roads piled up with traffic and crowds.
One man said Southport is “edgy”, while others described the situation as “horrendous”.
The violence follows a vigil attended by thousands who gathered to pay their respects to the victims of the attack which claimed the lives of three young girls.
Thousands had gathered at the vigil in Southport
PA
Six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar all died following the knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club.
Many of those taking part in the vigil, outside Southport’s Atkinson arts venue, were in tears as they laid flowers and cards of remembrance.
David Clayton, the head of the school trust attended by Aguiar and King, said the girls “will be in our hearts forever”, adding that “no words can do justice to what has happened here in Southport”.
While Farnborough Road Infant School headteacher Jennifer Sephton said the school was “heartbroken and devastated” by the death of their pupil, Stancombe.
Earlier on Tuesday, both the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary were in Southport to pay their respects.
Sir Keir Starmer had told emergency responders: “I hope you feel proud of the part that you played in the most difficult circumstances, to do what you could for those young lives.”
More to follow…