Agencies
London
A teenager remained in police custody after two children were killed and nine other people were injured in a "horror movie” knife attack close to a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance class in Britain.
Merseyside Police said the stabbings are not being treated as terror-related. The force said a 17-year-old boy, from the village of Banks, was arrested and is set to be questioned following the "major incident” at a property in Hart Street, Southport, north of Liverpool, at about 11.50am on Monday.
One witness told the PA news agency that he called the police to an address behind The Hart Space studios, where a Taylor Swift-themed yoga class for children in school years two to six, aged between six and 11, was taking place.
North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) said it had so far treated eight patients with stab injuries, who were taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Aintree University Hospital and Southport and Formby hospital.
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital said its emergency department was extremely busy, asking parents only to bring their children in if it was urgent.
Witnesses described hearing "screaming” and seeing bleeding children running from the scene.
Colin Parry, owner of Masters Vehicle Body Repairs, said he believed that six or seven "young girls” had been stabbed.
He went on: "The mothers are coming here now and screaming.
"It is like a scene from a horror movie.” Parry added: "Police have got him. It’s like something from America, not like sunny Southport.”
A large police cordon has been put up around the building in Hart Road, with police officers guarding either end.
Officers and vehicles could be seen from a distance inside the cordon, including scenes-of-crime officers in white boiler suits.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the incident was "horrendous and deeply shocking”, while Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was "deeply concerned”.
A large and growing media presence with reporters, photographers and TV crews assembled at the police tape.