The hero dance class teachers who saved innocent children from hooded killer in Southport: Local teacher behind Taylor Swift-themed workshop is among victims fighting for life in hospital after 'ferocious attack' that's left two dead

Two leader creation people teachers saved up to 16 guiltless children from being attacked by a masked slayer who ambushed a Taylor Swift-themed shop successful Southport yesterday, MailOnline tin reveal.

Brave Leanne Lucas, 35, who organised nan yoga and bracelet making people is among nan victims fighting for her life successful infirmary aft nan 'ferocious attack' that near 2 children dead. 

The superior schoolhouse proviso coach - who now teaches children's yoga workshops - suffered stab injuries aft a man entered nan venue done nan unlocked door, which was near unfastened amid nan scorching heat, and started attacking children.

Ms Lucas and her co-organiser and creation coach Heidi Barlow, besides 35, saved 16 children arsenic nan 25-strong people aged betwixt six and 11, while 9 children were taken to infirmary and six stay successful a captious condition.

Ms Barlow was besides injured successful nan attack, though not seriously, MailOnline understands.

Two female adults were rushed to infirmary aft constabulary opportunity they 'bravely tried to protect them' from nan onslaught astatine nan Hart Space Studios connected Hart Street.

Ms Lucas, who's besides a qualified superior schoolhouse teacher, is nan proprietor and laminitis of Enlighten, planned nan two-hour convention to coincide pinch nan commencement of nan schoolhouse holidays.

She was hailed coming by relatives who paid tribute to her bravery and emotion for her students. 

Pauline Bennett, 64, said: 'She's only tiny, she wouldn't person stood a chance against a man pinch a knife, but she conscionable wanted to protect those children.

'I can't ideate what she would person been reasoning erstwhile he came done nan door. It each happened truthful quickly, she conscionable did what she could.

'Her sister stayed astatine her bedside each nighttime and her parents are pinch her now. We're conscionable hoping and praying that she's going to beryllium ok.

'Leanne loves school children, it's each she's ever wanted to do. She conscionable loves children.

'It's conscionable heartbreaking that personification could do thing for illustration this.'

A erstwhile schoolhouse friend said: 'To my knowledge she organised it, she utilized to beryllium a superior schoolhouse coach astatine a section school.

Ms Lucas - who taught successful China and Dubai earlier nan Covid pandemic deed - is simply a large instrumentality of Taylor Swift, her aunt said.

'Then she came location successful Covid and now this happens. She went to nan Taylor Swift performance and she sewage a large poster of her for nan kids.'

Posting a photograph of Ms Lucas connected Facebook, Sunshine Yoga wrote: 'I'm perfectly devastated. Please please believe for Leanne.

'Leanne came connected my training people successful December. A beautiful young imaginative woman who was truthful passionate astir helping children.

'I conscionable can't judge it. Please pray.'

Others described nan news arsenic 'devastating' and 'heartbreaking'.

One Facebook personification wrote: 'I'm successful shock.

'Thinking of you Leanne and everyone involved, emotion and prayers spell retired to you all.'

Another added: 'Thank you for your bravery successful defending your class.

'I believe you get to spot really proud nan full municipality is of your actions today.'

According to Leanne's Facebook page, she had only precocious returned to nan UK aft a vacation successful Italy that included a travel to Venice and nan Dolomite Mountains.

Ms Barlow was a creation coach astatine Southport Dance Academy, wherever she had precocious taken clip disconnected to person a babe girl.

Wishing her luck past year, nan schoolhouse said: 'We are sending you tons of emotion and dream you are enjoying each nan value clip together.'

Photos from her societal media show her celebrating matrimony 2 years agone and her paying tribute to her 'gorgeous' students arsenic her classes were halted complete lockdown. 

Speaking to nan media today, Southport MP Patrick Hurley said: 'The municipality is successful mourning, nan municipality is successful daze this morning. The incident that took spot yesterday was uniquely horrific.

'Southport's a quiet seaside, coastal town. This has conscionable sent shockwaves done nan full community.

'It's a very mini town, Southport, and a batch of families crossed nan area will beryllium impacted directly.

'I deliberation astatine this shape we request to conscionable scope out, make judge that there's a level of organization treatment going connected and make judge we springiness sound to nan solidarity that group request correct now.'

Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, of Merseyside Police, said those injured had each suffered stab wounds successful nan 'ferocious attack'.

She added: 'We judge that nan adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect nan children who were being attacked.

'As a mum and a nana, I can't statesman to ideate nan symptom and suffering that nan families of nan victims are going done astatine this infinitesimal successful time.

'I wish to nonstop my heartfelt condolences to them.'

The masked attacker entered The Hart Space - a organization centre astatine nan bosom of nan Merseyside organization - done nan door, which had been near unfastened successful an effort to support cool amid nan scorching heat.

It's believed he coincided his presence pinch parents picking up their children from nan workshop, which was expected to decorativeness astatine 12pm.

Described by locals arsenic wearing a acheronian hood, he allegedly arrived astatine nan location successful a taxi conscionable minutes earlier nan arena was group to extremity earlier exiting nan conveyance without paying, The Telegraph reports.

A 17-year-old boy, from Banks, remains successful custody aft being arrested connected suspicion of execution and attempted murder. 

Police were called to nan segment astatine 11.47am - pinch horrified cops arriving conscionable 3 minutes later arsenic they witnessed nan aftermath of a 'ferocious attack'.

And conscionable 20 minutes earlier he unleashed his reign of terror, nan attacker could beryllium seen prowling houses 15 minutes from nan venue arsenic he walked backmost and forth extracurricular nan beforehand doorway of nan property.

At astir 1pm, constabulary cars and equipped officers past swooped connected nan aforesaid £80,000 location successful nan colony of Banks, Lancashire, which is little than 15 minutes from nan scene. 

Shocking footage of paramedics and constabulary officers sprinting to nan shop shows nan chaos connected nan residential thoroughfare arsenic screaming filled nan air.

Further video shows paramedics treating injured children arsenic group spilled retired onto nan quiet street. 

The casualties were taken to 3 hospitals, including nan Alder Hey Children's Hospital successful Liverpool which has declared a awesome incident. 

An aerial ambulance was seen successful a adjacent car parkland and group successful nan area said section Whatsapp groups told neighbours to 'lock your windows and doors', nan Liverpool Echo reported.

This morning, nan roadworthy extracurricular The Hart Space has been filled pinch tributes, including bouquets of flowers and teddies for nan young children.

Alongside them are messages - including 'fly precocious pinch angels small ones', Hits Radio News reports. 

A JustGiving page - group up by Taylor Swift fans - has already raised astir £20,000 to thief families affected by nan calamity and salary for nan 2 funerals.

Locals said they saw children moving from nan building and assumed location had been a car mishap because a conveyance was covered successful blood.

But they quickly realised thing much sinister had occurred erstwhile they saw 'seven to 10 kids' who were 'injured and bleeding' extracurricular nan nursery.

There are thought to person been astir 25 children aged betwixt six and 11 taking portion successful nan shop for schoolkids successful years 2 done to six erstwhile nan horrific onslaught took place. 

One witnesser told really she heard a female screaming and ran extracurricular to find a young mother pinch her girl - some covered successful blood.

Deborah Parker, 57, who lives a fewer 100 yards from nan studio, recovered nan brace successful a parked car. She told The Mirror: 'It had only conscionable happened. I was opening nan windows downstairs and a constabulary car sped past.

'The woman was parked connected nan area screaming 'help me, thief me'. Of people I ran over, she was covered successful blood, nan mum. Her girl was slumped successful nan rider seat.

'She had gone to nan children's nine to prime her up and she came retired saying 'mum, I've been stabbed'.'

As nan federation reeled from nan senseless violence, nan onslaught was branded 'utterly horrific' by King Charles and 'horrendous and profoundly shocking' by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The shocking quality of nan frenzy - likened to a segment retired of a 'horror movie' - was laid bare successful a constabulary property convention connected Monday evening.

Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: 'My officers were called to reports of a stabbing astatine 11.47 this greeting astatine an reside successful Southport.

'When they arrived, they were shocked to find that aggregate people, galore of whom were children, had been subjected to a ferocious onslaught and had suffered superior injuries.

'It is understood that nan children were attending a Taylor Swift arena astatine a creation hallway erstwhile nan offender, equipped pinch a knife, walked into nan premises and started to onslaught nan children inside.

'We judge that nan adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect nan children who were being attacked.

'As a mum and a nana, I can't statesman to ideate nan symptom and suffering that nan families of nan victims are going through.' 

One resident said 2 female yoga teachers starring nan people were wounded arsenic they desperately tried to prevention nan children.

He told The Sun: 'She was successful nan toilet, unopen nan doorway and locked it pinch 1 of nan kids. The different sewage immoderate kids to nan occurrence exit.'

They added: 'I heard immoderate lads from nan builders gait and a model cleaner came retired and tried to help. They heard shouting,

'Get nan kids, get nan kids'. I don't cognize if they've tackled him. I heard personification sat connected him.

'A friend of mine, his 2 small daughters person been stabbed.

'Little girls were getting worked connected successful gardens and mums were crying their eyes out.'

The suspect, who cannot beryllium named for ineligible reasons, was apprehended astatine a gym aft a individual trainer helped to apprehend him, The Times reports.

The newspaper was besides told that a neighbour took astir 10 girls to information successful his location and was helped by different resident.

'The organization was coming together, everyone was trying to help,' he said. 'Everyone was trying to prevention nan young kids.'

It has besides emerged that businessman Jonathan Hayes tried to disarm nan knifeman aft proceeding screams from his office.

The 63-year-old was stabbed successful nan limb aft moving into nan workplace to intervene.

His woman Helen, 57, said he tried to put himself betwixt nan knifeman and nan children, adding to The Telegraph: 'Our agency is successful nan aforesaid building arsenic nan creation studio, he heard screams and went outside, saw nan attacker, saw that he had wounded a kid and tried to return nan weapon disconnected him and sewage stabbed successful nan leg.

'The creation workplace is tucked distant down a small alley, you wouldn't cognize that location was a children's creation workplace location conscionable by stepping past – you would person to person known it was there.

'I've been pinch him each day astatine nan hospital. He's very upset that he wasn't capable to beryllium much help. Physically he will beryllium okay, mentally I don't know.'

Detectives are still trying to found nan motive for this 'tragic incident', adding: 'We would impulse group not to estimate while nan investigation is ongoing.'

The unit said that nan incident was not being treated arsenic 'terror-related' and that they are 'not looking for anyone other successful relationship pinch nan incident'.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was 'deeply concerned' by nan attack.

Following nan property conference, King Charles released a connection saying: 'My woman and I person been profoundly shocked to perceive of nan utterly horrific incident successful Southport today.

'We nonstop retired astir heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies to nan families and loved ones of those who person truthful tragically mislaid their lives, and to each those affected by this genuinely appalling attack.'

The Prime Minister besides offered his condolences to nan victims and their families and friends, saying 'the full state is profoundly shocked'.

'I cognize I speak for everybody successful nan full state successful saying our thoughts and condolences are pinch nan victims, their families, their friends and nan wider community,' he added.

'It's almost intolerable to ideate nan condolences that they're going done and nan trauma that they are going through.'

He besides thanked nan emergency services who responded to nan 'most difficult of circumstances'.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said: 'My prayers are pinch nan victims of nan appalling stabbings successful Southport coming - and particularly pinch nan parents and loved ones of nan 2 children who were killed.

'I believe that God would tie adjacent and comfortableness them successful this unimaginable grief. I believe excessively for those who were injured, their families and those caring for them, and for those who witnessed and responded to this devastating attack.'

Mothers arriving to prime up their children astatine nan extremity of nan shop were greeted pinch a segment that was likened to thing from a 'horror movie' arsenic injured children were carried extracurricular by emergency workers.

Police besides cordoned disconnected a thoroughfare pinch officers stationed extracurricular a location astir 4 miles from nan stabbing incident.

Locals said Matrix police, nan equipped portion of Merseyside Police, descended connected nan reside soon aft nan incident successful Southport. It besides came soon aft nan individual was pacing astir nan beforehand of nan property.

Earlier connected Monday, constabulary said a antheral had been arrested and a weapon had been seized. The unit urged group to debar nan area but said location was 'no wider threat' to nan public.

Ryan Carney, who lives pinch his mother Hayley connected Hart Street, said he rushed location from activity to beryllium pinch her aft she witnessed nan unspeakable aftermath. He said: 'She went retired and location was a female who was screaming, saying she can't find her child.

'They fto her into nan cordon and she ran down and each she could perceive was screaming and crying, saying, ''That's my child! That's my child!'''

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was 'deeply concerned' by nan attack.

Witness Bare Varathan, 35, who owns a area shop connected Hart Street, said he was called by a unit personnel who told him, 'Boss, get to nan shop!'

He said: 'I saw 7 to 10 kids extracurricular nan nursery. They were injured, bleeding.

'They were successful nan road, moving from nan nursery. They had been stabbed, here, here, here, everywhere. [Mr Varathan indicated nan neck, backmost and thorax area].

'They were each aged astir ten. One of them was really earnestly injured.

'I dream they will beryllium OK. Only 2 constabulary jeeps and ambulances arrived, past equipped constabulary came and took him retired of nan nursery. Somebody told maine he had arrived successful a taxi and had a knife.'

One resident, who lives connected Hart Street but did not want to beryllium named, said he was astatine location astir midday erstwhile a female pulled up extracurricular successful her car, screaming.

He said: 'She was screaming 'my daughter's been stabbed'. The female was successful hysterics. Then 2 constabulary cars rushed up nan thoroughfare nan different way.

'It was a mum pinch her 10-year-old girl who had been stabbed. I helped to get her backmost up to wherever nan constabulary cars and ambulances were.

'She didn't look awesome but my attraction was connected getting her backmost up nan thoroughfare to get help.

'When I sewage backmost up nan thoroughfare location were a mates of kids connected nan level being seen to by paramedics and, arsenic I came back, much constabulary cars were going down and much ambulances gradually started to arrive.'

A BBC newsman astatine nan segment described 1 woman connected a stretcher covered successful humor pinch 'her parents moving aft her'.

The victims person been taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Aintree University Hospital and Southport and Formby hospital.

A unit personnel astatine nan Hart Space, who wanted to stay anonymous, said she had heard nan fishy was wearing a 'black hood' erstwhile he reportedly stabbed aggregate children.

They said: 'There were astir apt 25 children location because that's nan max we person location and they had reached nan max.

'I don't moreover cognize if nan teachers are ok, they posted nan different time that they were afloat for this Taylor Swift vacation nine this morning.

'When I sewage there, location was a feline who was perfectly distraught, successful a mess.

'He'd seen 2 children tally retired of The Hart Space, and he thought they had sewage deed by a car because nan car was conscionable afloat of humor astatine nan broadside of nan car.

'But it was really that nan children who had been stabbed had fallen into nan car.

'It was apparently a feline pinch a achromatic hooded apical on.'

A section business owner, who was 1 of nan group who called nan police, said nan incident successful Southport was for illustration a 'scene successful a scary movie.'

Colin Parry, proprietor of Masters Vehicle Body Repairs connected Hart Street, said he believed six aliases 7 'young girls' had been stabbed.

He said: 'The mothers are coming present now and screaming. It is for illustration a segment from a scary movie.'

'Police person sewage him. It's for illustration thing from America, not for illustration sunny Southport.'

He later told BBC 5Live that he was first alert of a commotion because a young man successful a look disguise was refusing to salary for a taxi fare.

He said he and a customer confronted nan man but that he asked them, 'What are you going to do?' and walked off.

Mr Parry went backmost to activity but past received a telephone telephone from an worker who had gone to nan building adjacent doorway erstwhile they heard children screaming 'and not for illustration a normal play scream'.

'We each ran retired and there's young kids, each bleeding,' Mr Parry said.

He said galore of nan children were past taken into a adjacent location and that nan segment extracurricular was 'mayhem'.

'It was nan worst point I've seen ever successful my life,' he said.

'Why? Why would you do these things to these kids? It's horrific.'

A unit personnel astatine The Bridge Cafe connected Hart Street told MailOnline: 'We were told somebody's been stabbing children.

'It's chocka. It's each cordoned off, constabulary cars astatine each junction. Parents are stood extracurricular waiting.'

A section resident said she near activity instantly to cheque connected her daughters erstwhile she heard news of nan attack, adding that parents person been checking successful pinch 1 another.

Joanne Newman told BBC News: 'I sewage a telephone from a very, very bully friend of mine, I was successful activity wholly oblivious to it and arsenic soon arsenic she told maine I virtually ran retired of work.

'I don't cognize really I managed to thrust backmost to beryllium adjacent - my privilege was conscionable my girls, my girls, my girls.

'I knew my eldest girl was taking her to a friend's location and I'm conscionable truthful thankful to God that they're safe.'

She continued: 'Nobody tin judge it, each nan section mums person checked successful pinch 1 different - I'm judge we're each going to cognize personification from that awful, that mediocre group. But nan parents I checked successful on, my girls and I conscionable ran to nan crowd because I conscionable thought, you put your NHS caput connected don't you?

'The mother that I was conscionable consoling, conscionable nan look connected her look because she knew thing had happened to her child, it's for illustration 'oh my gosh', really do you moreover comprehend - there's thing you tin do.'

Ms Newman said her elder girl - who had been taking her younger sister to a friend's location - heard a 'sinister scream' astir nan aforesaid clip of nan stabbing.

She told BBC News: 'She said she heard rather a sinister shriek and virtually she'd sewage backmost from taking my girl - we don't cognize astir what clip it was but it was akin timing, and past each nan commotion had gone on, truthful looking backmost astatine nan timescales that perchance could person been - but she said it was a very untoward, different scream, truthful we don't know.'

A ample constabulary cordon has been put up astir nan building, pinch constabulary officers guarding either end.

Officers and vehicles tin beryllium seen from a region wrong nan cordon, including scenes-of-crime officers successful achromatic boiler suits.

Dozens of constabulary cars, vans, occurrence engines and ambulances are besides assembled a short region distant astatine a section school.

Steve Rotheram, politician of Liverpool City Region, says he is 'deeply concerned' by nan incident.

'I person been successful interaction pinch nan constabulary and americium being kept updated connected nan situation,' he says successful a societal media post.

He urges nan nationalist to hold for charismatic updates and to not dispersed 'unconfirmed speculation and mendacious information'.

College of Policing Chief Constable Sir Andy Marsh said his 'thoughts are pinch everyone affected'.

'My thoughts this day are pinch everyone affected by nan horrific and profoundly distressing incident successful Southport,' Mr Marsh said connected X.

'I'm grateful to nan constabulary officers and different emergency services responding.'

A section parent, who did not wish to beryllium named, said his girl was 'traumatised' by nan attack. 

He said: 'My girl was successful it and she was traumatised. She ran distant and she's safe.'