A 17-year-old boy will appear in court today charged with the murders of three girls and the attempted murder of 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport.

Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, were fatally stabbed when a knifeman entered the dance class in Hart Street on Monday.

Eight other children suffered knife wounds - with five of them in a critical condition - while two adults were also critically hurt.

Serena Kennedy, Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, told a news conference:"A 17-year old-boy from Banks has been charged with the murders of Bebe, Elsie Dot and Alice, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article following the tragic incident in Southport on Monday July 29.

"The 17 year old cannot be named for legal reasons as he's under 18. He has been remanded in custody to appear (today), Thursday August 1, at Liverpool Magistrates Court, Derby Square.

"Whilst these charges are a significant milestone within this investigation, this remains very much a live investigation and we continue to work with our partners from Lancashire Police and counter-terrorism police in the North West."

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