A heroic businessman was stabbed in the leg as he tried to disarm the Southport attacker – after running into a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop when he heard the piercing screams of children from his office.
Jonathan Hayes, 63, was among those who tried to intervene as a knifeman launched a frenzied attack on a group of children enjoying a workshop at the beginning of the school holidays.
His wife Helen, 57, has revealed that he regrets not being able to do more to stop the ‘ferocious attack’ that left two children dead.
As well as the two fatalities, 11 others, including nine more children, were stabbed at the sold-out dance, yoga and bracelet making workshop, which was just minutes from finishing.
Helen told The Telegraph that her husband put himself between the knife-wielding attacker and the children, adding: ‘Our office is in the same building as the dance studio, he heard screams and went outside, saw the attacker, saw that he had hurt a child and tried to take the knife off him and got stabbed in the leg.
‘The dance studio is tucked away down a little alley, you wouldn’t know that there was a children’s dance studio there just by walking past – you would have to have known it was there.
‘I’ve been with him all afternoon at the hospital. He’s very upset that he wasn’t able to be more help. Physically he will be okay, mentally I don’t know.’
One resident said two female yoga teachers leading the class were critically injured as they desperately tried to save the children.
He told The Sun: ‘She was in the toilet, shut the door and locked it with one of the kids. The other got some kids to the fire exit.’
They added: ‘I heard some lads from the builders yard and a window cleaner came out and tried to help. They heard shouting,
‘Get the kids, get the kids’. I don’t know if they’ve tackled him. I heard someone sat on him.
‘A friend of mine, his two little daughters have been stabbed.
‘Little girls were getting worked on in gardens and mums were crying their eyes out.’
A 17-year-old boy, born in Cardiff but from Banks, Merseyside, is being held on suspicion of murder and attempted murder following the attack at the studio in Hart Street, Southport, Merseyside Police said.
Further details of the victims, including age and gender, have not been given by police, who said they are not treating the incident as terror-related but added the motive ‘remains unclear’.
All the casualties are now being treated in hospitals, including children’s hospitals in Liverpool and Manchester.
The King said on Monday evening that he and the Queen had been ‘profoundly shocked’ to hear of the ‘utterly horrific incident in Southport today’.
Charles added: ‘We send our most heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have so tragically lost their lives, and to all those affected by this truly appalling attack.’
The Prince and Princess of Wales said: ‘As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through.
‘We send our love, thoughts and prayers to all those involved in this horrid and heinous attack.
‘Thank you also to the emergency responders who, despite being met with the most horrific scenes, demonstrated compassion and professionalism when your community needed you most.’
Following a police press conference on Monday evening, the Prime Minister offered his condolences to the victims of the attack in Southport, and their families and friends, saying ‘the whole country is deeply shocked’.
The suspect is from Banks, a village outside Southport, and a road in the area was cordoned off by police on Monday afternoon.
Merseyside Police had declared a major incident after receiving emergency calls at 11.50am on Monday, with armed response vehicles, 13 ambulances and the fire service descending on the scene.
The children were attending a Taylor Swift event at the dance school when the offender walked into the premises with a knife and attacked them.
One local said one of the two adults injured in the attack locked herself in a room with children to protect them as eyewitnesses reported hearing screaming and seeing children ‘covered’ in blood, suffering stab wounds.
In a statement on Monday night, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: ‘It is devastating that two children have been killed and others remain in hospital in critical condition after the horrific attack in Southport today.
‘What has happened is utterly heartbreaking.
‘My heart goes out to the children, their parents, the brave adults trying to protect them, and the families of all affected.
‘It is unimaginable what they will be going through.
‘And the whole country will want to support them in their grief.’
MP for Southport Patrick Hurley posted a statement on X: ‘My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families of the horrific attack on Hart Street today.
‘I am deeply saddened by the news that two children have been fatally injured.
‘I hope for the swift and full recovery of all the other victims of this senseless attack and I thank the staff at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Southport and Formby Hospital, and Aintree University Hospital for their care for those affected.’