Two children dead and nine injured in 'ferocious attack' at dance class

Teenage boy held after stabbings that also left two adults critically hurt

- Jessica Murray , Josh Halliday & Hannah Al-Othman

Two children were killed and nine injured, six critically, in a series of stabbings yesterday at a children's dance class in Southport.

Two adults were also in critical condition last night after what police called a "ferocious attack" at a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance class at The Hart Space, a studio which also hosts antenatal and hypnobirthing classes in the north-west seaside town.

Merseyside police chief constable, Serena Kennedy, said that a man armed with a knife had entered the class and began attacking the children at about 11.47 am.

"When [officers] arrived, they were shocked to find that multiple people, many of whom were children, had been subjected to a ferocious attack and had suffered serious injuries," she said.

"We believe that the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked." A 17-year-old boy from the village of Banks five miles away in Lancashire and born in Cardiff, was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in connection with the attack.

Kennedy said "the motivation for the incident remains unclear" but it was not being treated as terrorist related, although Counter-terrorism Police North West had offered support to the force in its investigation.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, police described it as a major incident and 13 ambulances were sent to the scene, while Alder Hey children's hospital in nearby Liverpool declared a major incident, asking people to avoid their "extremely busy" A&E department.