Two children killed and another nine injured after stabbing at Southport dance class

Two children have died and six others are in a critical condition following the mass stabbing incident in Southport, Merseyside Police's Chief Constable confirmed.

Ch Const Serena Kennedy said two children had been killed and nine more injured. Of those nine, six are currently in a critical condition. Two adults, believed to have been trying to protect the children, are also critically injured in hospital.

The senior police officer said: "We believe that the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked."

Read more: NHS warning as North East sees 'spike' in whooping cough cases

Keep up to date with all the latest breaking news and top stories from the North East with our free newsletter

This comes after Merseyside Police earlier confirmed a teenager has been arrested following the stabbings, the Liverpool ECHO reports. The 17-year-old, from the village of Banks near to Southport, is in custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

At around 11.50am, police were called to a property on Hart Street to reports of a stabbing. Multiple children and adults were attacked.

The police force has now confirmed what is described as a “ferocious attack” took place at a Taylor Swift event at a dance school in the town's Hart Street.

Alder Hey Children's Hospital declared a major incident as it attempted to deal with what has happened. While the attack focused on a property in Hart Street, the ECHO understands it continued out of the property and in the local area.

Merseyside Police said enquiries are ongoing to establish the motive and urged people not to speculate while the investigation is ongoing. The Chief Constable said: “It is understood that the children were attending a Taylor Swift event at a dance hall when the offender, armed with a knife, walked into the premises and started to attack inside."

She added: “The investigation is at its early stages and the motivation for the incident remains unclear.

“However, Counter-Terrorism Police North-West have offered their support to Merseyside Police as the full circumstances of what has happened are being established. At this moment in time, the investigation is not being treated as terrorist-related.”

The police earlier also confirmed that detectives are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Several eyewitnesses have told the ECHO children were enjoying a dance summer camp.

An event was taking place at The Hart Space, a pregnancy care centre located on the first floor of Norwood Business Park on Hart Street, Southport. It offers antenatal, hypnobirthing and pregnancy yoga classes, as well as baby and children's classes.

A post previously shared on social media by The Hart Space confirmed they were holding a sold-out Taylor Swift yoga and dance workshop , today between 10am and 12pm. One man, who told the ECHO his daughter was supposed to go to the class this morning, before changing her mind, said the class was for children aged three to 12.

North West Ambulance Service confirmed it was responding to a major incident following a call at 11.48am to Hart Street in Southport following reports of multiple stabbings. It added it had dispatched 13 ambulances along with specialised resources of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), Air Ambulance and Merit Doctors to the scene.

So far, NWAS said it has treated eight patients with stab injuries who have been taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Aintree University Hospital and Southport and Formby hospital.