Hundreds attend peaceful Southport vigil for girls killed in stabbing

Children blew bubbles and others left flowers and heart-shaped balloons on Monday evening in remembrance of the victims.

Members of the public take part in a vigil in Southport (Ryan Jenkinson/PA) (PA Wire)

Hundreds of people have attended a peaceful vigil in Southport a week on from the murders of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Dasilva Aguiar.

Children blew bubbles and others left flowers and heart-shaped balloons on Monday evening in remembrance of the victims of the stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club.

Hundreds of bubbles were donated by local shops, arcades, charities and families of the victims, the event’s organiser said.

Teddy bears and toys were among the other gifts left in memory of the victims at the “Swifties Bubble Blow – Kisses To Heaven” event.

Many of the children at the vigil were dressed in pink, with some leaving chalk messages on the pavement in front of The Atkinson arts centre in Southport town centre.

Event organiser Kylie Clift said: “I organised this event as I feel a great importance in our children being able to grieve too.

“They can express so much emotion through fun yet sensitive activities, like bubble blowing.

“I have been donated hundreds of bubbles from various local shops, arcades, charities and even from families of the victims themselves.

“There will be time to take a moment and remember those we’ve lost and those who still continue to fight.

“We have the amazing Wendy Chalke singing a heartfelt song whilst we all come together as a community and blow as many bubbles as we can, blowing them ‘kisses’ to heaven.”

A spokesman for Merseyside Police said one child remained in hospital after the Southport attack and all other patients have been discharged.

Disorder and violence broke out in parts of the UK after last week’s knife attack.

Hundreds of people took part in a peaceful vigil for the stabbing victims on July 30 outside The Atkinson venue, with many in tears as they laid flowers and cards the day after the attack.

That vigil was followed by a separate protest on the same day outside a local mosque as demonstrators chanted far-right slogans and clashed with police in St Luke’s Road.

The Prime Minister subsequently said rioters in Southport had “hijacked” the vigil and would “feel the full force of the law”.