Southport falls silent for victims on first anniversary of attack

SOUTHPORT has fallen silent to remember the three girls who died in an attack on a dance class a year ago.

- ELEANOR BARLOW

A three-minute silence was held at 3pm yesterday, to mark a year since Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died after Axel Rudakubana launched his attack at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town.

No vigil was planned to mark the occasion by Sefton council, who said they had been guided by the wishes of the family, but a crowd gathered in the Town Hall Gardens to observe the silence.

Those sitting on benches stood as the clock on the Atkinson arts centre chimed 3pm.

One child blew bubbles as the silence was observed, before people applauded and came forward with single pink roses which were left in a designated area in the corner of the gardens.

The area was the location for a vigil in the wake of the attack last year and is due to be transformed into a legacy garden in memory of those who died.