Nursery group issues security warning to parents after Southport knife attack

A nursery group has urged parents not to hold the door open for others at drop-off and pick-up following a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport.

Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, have been named as the three children who tragically lost their lives in the attack on Monday. A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, remains in custody accused of murder and attempted murder following the incident at the dance studio in Hart Street.

Childbase Partnership, which looks after 6,000 children in 44 day nurseries across England, has since sent out a "high priority" email to parents concerning security measures when dropping off and collecting their children. An "alert" was issued to all nurseries in the group on Tuesday morning to reassure parents that security procedures, which are already established across the venues in order for staff to meet "a variety of threats", were being reviewed following the knife attack.

• READ MORE: Southport stabbing: Police name three young victims as families release heartbreaking statements

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Lorna Wigley, quality and health and safety director of Childbase Partnership, has called on parents to refrain from holding the door open for others at nursery and to report any concerns to staff "immediately". The email, seen by the PA news agency, reminded parents that only people registered on a form will be permitted to pick up their child from nursery.

Ms Wigley said: "Following the tragic event in Southport on Monday 29th July 2024, I am writing to reassure you that an alert has been issued to all nurseries which are currently reviewing both security equipment and the established procedures staff must follow in meeting a variety of threats.

"As always, your support and vigilance are vital in ensuring that the efforts of your highly trained nursery staff team achieve the desired results. Please do not hold the door open for anyone when you and your child enter the nursery building and report any concerns you have to staff immediately."

She added: "The security of our children in nursery is an absolute priority and our policies and practices are therefore subject to continuous review and evaluation by the company's Health and Safety team and, where necessary, external specialists."

Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said officers arrived on the scene on Monday to find that multiple people, many of whom were children, had been subjected to a "ferocious attack" and had suffered serious injuries at the dance class. Eight other children suffered stab wounds and five are in critical condition, alongside two adults who were critically injured, police said.

Ms Wigley told parents that in the event of an identified threat, nursery staff will follow a lockdown procedure - which involves "a sweep of the garden", moving the children inside, locking windows and doors, and drawing blinds. She added that parents' support "remains vital" to provide children with the "best possible security".

In a statement to PA, Ms Wigley added: "In the face of this tragedy, we as responsible early years providers have heightened the continuous focus on security in our 44-award winning, employee-owned day nurseries.

"While parent roles in maintaining the best possible security in nursery are promoted in weekly newsletters, the horrific events in Southport have served as a reminder of our collective need for vigilance and the value we place on the strength of our parent partnerships. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all those affected by this tragedy."

A spokesperson for the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said: "We are all devastated and heartbroken about the tragedy in Southport yesterday. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and the whole community in Southport at this incredibly difficult time.

"Shocking incidents like this are extremely rare and parents will know that nurseries and other providers will have policies and procedures in place around pick-up and drop-off, supervising visitors and what to do in an emergency. It is important that all childcare providers keep these up-to-date.

"The safety and wellbeing of children is paramount in early years settings. All nurseries across the UK, many of which operate holiday clubs throughout the summer, follow rigorous safeguarding procedures and these are inspected by regulators. These measures are in place to keep all our children as safe as they can be."

Taylor Swift said she is "completely in shock" after the "horror" of the knife attack, writing in a statement released on social media on Tuesday: "These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families." Fans of the star had raised more than £103,000 by Tuesday afternoon via their Swifties for Southport online fundraiser.