A 35-year-old man from Greater Manchester is the latest to be arrested following disorder in Southport. Violent scenes erupted in the on July 30 last year, on the day after a horrific triple stabbing in the Merseyside coastal town.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, tragically died following the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29. The Southport riot, prompted by false claims about the supposed attacker, sparked a wave of disorder across the country – including in Manchester and Bolton.
A Wigan man has now become the latest person to be arrested in connection with the Southport disorder. Merseyside Police says he has been interviewed and bailed pending further enquiries.
The force has now arrested 167 in connection with the riots in Merseyside, with 125 people charged and 99 people sentenced to a total of 198 years and four months in prison. Detective Inspector Paula Jones said: “This latest arrest demonstrates that we continue to remain steadfast in our investigation to identify more people who attended the disorder in Merseyside.
“The abhorrent behaviour of those who took part brought disgrace to the region and will not be tolerated. We continue to be committed to ensure those responsible are held to account, including those who travelled to Merseyside to be involved in the disorder.
“We would encourage anyone with information to contact us so please take a moment to view our latest gallery of people who we think have information to assist.” Axel Rudakubana, 18, of Banks, Lancashire, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder, plus the attempted murder of eight other children, businessman John Hayes and class instructor Leanne Lucas, in connection with the July 29 incident.
He is also charged with possession of a knife on the day of the attack, production of a biological toxin, ricin, on or before July 29 and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism. A trial will begin on January 20 and is expected to last up to six weeks.