A town in mourning – but its spirit is not broken

Just one week ago, it was a Monday like most others in a quiet seaside town in the north west of England.

For the school children who live in Southport, it was the start of the summer holidays, and one group of young girls were excited to attend a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop in a studio tucked behind a typical residential street.

But just minutes before the class was due to end, an incident so horrific was about to occur, that would change the lives of this community forever.

Three children were killed and others were injured in a knife attack that none of the locals could have ever predicted would happen in their town.

Now, a week later, the streets are not filled with children enjoying their summer of fun – the scribbled chalk no longer used for hopscotch.

Instead the names of the little girls who just wanted to dance are etched on the streets lined with floral tributes as the town comes to terms with its grief.

Alice, nine, Elsie, seven, and Bebe, six, were killed in that knife attack on Hart Street on 29 July, leaving a community in shock, consumed by grief.

Eight other children and two adults were also seriously injured, and five children remain in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, in Liverpool.

But Southport has shown its compassion, its kindness and its willingness to pull together over the past seven days.

Hundreds of flowers, plants, teddy bears, bracelets and messages have been left on Hart Street, where the attack took place.

Tributes also lie in front of the Atkinson Theatre on Lord Street as more mourners, united in their collective grief, come to pay their silent respects to the small town.

Andrew Brown, who runs community group Stand Up For Southport, said the town had a “massive healing process” to go through with more “trauma” to come.

He said the community was still in shock and would be for a “very long time” but the incident was a once-in-a-lifetime event and the community kindness shown over the past week had been “incredible”.

Mr Brown, a former editor at the Southport Visiter, said: “It is an incredible sight, there’s so many nice things because Southport is such a kind town.”

From neighbours taking in tributes to protect them from the rain, to those tending to the plants and popping bouquets of flowers in water, as well as the children making friendship bracelets and writing messages to all those affected, the town has shown its community spirit is not broken.

Mr Brown said: “One woman who lives in the house on Hart Street where all the flowers are outside her home, she lit up her tree pink and its a beautiful memorial.”

However, he said the town still had a huge amount of trauma to come.

“You still have got the court cases, all of these children who are still in Alder Hey Hospital yet to come home, I can’t imagine what injuries they have or how long there recovery is going to be.

“I can’t even bear to think about the funerals of the three children, the inquest, there is so much still to come and I think Southport is still deep in grief.

“It’s a small town but it’s a very friendly town, lots of families, and a lot are finding it hard.”