Major incident declared in UK town after reports of stabbing and ‘number of casualties’

Eight people stabbed with some taken to children's hospital

Merseyside Police said in a statement that emergency services have arrived in Southport following on from a major incident that occurred this morning.

Police said: "At around 11.50am, we were called to a property on Hart Street to reports of a stabbing.

"Armed police have detained a male and seized a knife. He has been taken to a police station."

Alder Hey Children's Hospital has confirmed it has declared a major incident.

The hospital said in a statement: "The Trust is working with other emergency services to respond to this incident and our Emergency Department is currently extremely busy.

"We ask parents to only bring their children to the Emergency Department if it is urgent.

"All other appointments and services are running as normal."

The North West Ambulance Service released a statement on X detailing further information of the incident.

It read: "We have dispatched 13 ambulances along with specialised resources of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), Air Ambulance and Merit Doctors to the scene.

"So far, NWAS has treated eight patients with stab injuries who have been taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Aintree University Hospital and Southport and Formby hospital."

A woman who lives nearby where the incident unfolded on Hart Street told the Liverpool Echo of the fear induced by the incident.

She said: "The messages started to go around the local WhatsApp groups, saying 'lock your windows, lock your doors', we were told a man was running around stabbing people,

"We are all absolutely terrified, panicking and sick with worry – everyone is trying to reach anyone they know in the area. I don't know how this can happen on a Monday lunchtime."

One of the people who called the police, and local business owner, Colin Parry described the incident like a "scene in a horror movie". 

He told the PA news agency: "The mothers are coming here now and screaming. It is like a scene from a horror movie."

"It's like something from America, not like sunny Southport," he added.

Police have asked the public to avoid the area while they deal with the incident, however reassured that there was "no wider threat to the public."

Updates to follow.