Eight people including children have been injured in a stabbing attack in Southport, as police declare a “major incident.” Armed police have detained a man and seized a knife, with members of the public urged to avoid the area around Hart Street. Eyewitnesses described seeing ‘a man stabbing young children’ and armed police have detained a man and seized a knife. Photos of the road show police cars, fire engines, and people outside a pub and there are reports that residents have ‘locked doors and windows’.
One woman living near the street told the Liverpool ECHO she started to realise something series was happening when she heard sirens. Messages sent to WhatsApp groups later reported a man "was running around and stabbing people". She said: "It was about 20 past 12 I think and we heard loads of sirens and then there was a helicopter circling above. Then the messages started to go around the local WhatsApp groups, saying 'lock your windows, lock your doors', we were told a man was running around stabbing people. "We are all absolutely terrified, panicking and sick with worry - everyone is trying to reach anyone they know in the area. I don't know how this can happen on a Monday lunchtime."