Emergency services in the northwest England town of Southport said at least eight people were hospitalized with stab wounds after police said a man was detained following reports of a mass stabbing. The Merseyside police said a knife was seized when the man was arrested and there was “no wider risk to the public.”
North West Ambulance Service said eight people with stab injuries were transported to regional hospitals, including a pediatric facility. The conditions and identities of the victims were not immediately clear.
The pediatric facility, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, declared a major incident and asked parents not to bring their children into its emergency room unless it was urgent, the Reuters news agency said.
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A local business owner, Colin Parry, who said he’d called the police, told the U.K.’s Press Association news agency he believed six or seven “young girls” had been stabbed.
“The mothers are coming here now and screaming. It is like a scene from a horror movie,” he said. “It’s like something from America, not like sunny Southport.”
A parent who asked to remain anonymous told the Press Association his “daughter was in [the attack] and she was traumatized. She ran away and she’s safe.”
“Horrendous and deeply shocking news emerging from Southport. My thoughts are with all those affected,” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on social media. “I would like to thank the police and emergency services for their swift response. I am being kept updated as the situation develops.”
This developing story will be updated.
