Southport has fallen silent to honour the three girls killed in a horrifying knife attack at a Taylor Swift dance class one year ago.
The three-minute silence was held at 3pm on Tuesday, to mark 12 months since Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died after 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana launched his attack in the Merseyside town.
The families of the three girls asked for no flowers to be left at schools or the scene of the killings and for no vigils or large public gatherings to take place. To respect their wishes, public bodies will not call the day an anniversary.
But a crowd quickly gathered in the Town Hall Gardens on Tuesday morning to observe the silence.
And despite being encouraged to donate to special causes, including those set up in the victims' names, instead of leaving tributes, mourners started placing flowers at the site.
People sitting on benches in the area got to their feet as the clock on the Atkinson arts centre chimed 3pm and a silence fell over the grieving town.
One child blew bubbles during the three-minute tribute, before mourners applauded and walked to the front with single pink roses which were left in a designated area in the corner of the gardens.
The same spot had held a vigil in the wake of the attack last July and is set to be transformed into a legacy garden in memory of those who died.
A crowd quickly gathered in the Town Hall Gardens on Tuesday morning to observe the silence
The three-minute silence was held at 3pm on Tuesday, to mark 12 months since Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died
Axel Rudakubana launched his attack in the Merseyside town and was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of 52 years, in January
Candles and a teddy bear were also left and friendship bracelets were draped between trees.
Colourful windmills and rocks painted with Elsie, Alice and Bebe's names on them were placed in a flowerbed in the area.
Meanwhile, flags were flown at half mast on the town halls in Southport and Liverpool.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: 'We stand together in grief, in honour of the memory of those wonderful children, and in admiration of the families who have shown strength beyond words.
'We stand with all the children and adults who still bear the physical and mental scars of that day - and in awe of those who risked their lives to help.
'And we stand with the people of Southport, who have shown Britain the meaning of community.
'The nation wants to put its arms around you all. We will come together today to show our sorrow and solidarity.
'But also to show our determination to uphold the true legacy of Bebe, Alice and Elsie - one of joy, kindness and love.'
And despite being encouraged to donate to special causes, including those set up in the victims' names, instead of leaving tributes, mourners started placing flowers at the site
People sitting on benches in the area got to their feet as the clock on the Atkinson arts centre chimed 3pm and a silence fell over the grieving town
Crowds pictured observing a moment of quiet in honour of the three victims killed last year
Mourners applauded and walked to the front with single pink roses which were left in a designated area in the corner of the gardens
A teddy bear left in tribute to the victims of the horrifying Southport knife attack
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the lives of the 'three innocent young girls' were 'extinguished in an act of pure evil'.
In a post on X, she added: 'We honour the memories of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar.
'Their families, and those that survived, carry unimaginable grief and trauma.
'We owe it to them, the people of Southport and communities across the country to demand justice and learn the painful lessons of state failure to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.'
Deputy leader of Sefton Council Paulette Lappin said: 'It still remains beyond belief, even though I know it to be true, and so it's just very sad.
'From sadness, we hope to bring goodness and that's all we can do.'
In an attack that prosecutors described as a 'meticulously-planned rampage' the knife-wielding maniac knifed as many children as he could within 12 minutes.
Businessman John Hayes, who rushed to the scene from his office nearby and attempted to overpower Rudakubana, was also stabbed.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid his own tribute to the victims
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the lives of the 'three innocent young girls' were 'extinguished in an act of pure evil'
Flowers and tributes outside the Atkinson Art Centre Southport last July, after three children were fatally stabbed at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club
A prison van believed to contain Rudakubana arriving at Liverpool Crown Court for his sentencing
Others nearby who heard screams also hurried to the scene and police arrived, bringing the horrific incident to an end.
One of the officers who was called was Sergeant Greg Gillespie.
Describing his experience of the traumatic attack, he told the BBC about the 'fear' he saw in people's faces - even recalling seeing a little girl he thought to be dead.
He said: 'I don't think there's any amount of training or experience that can quite prepare you to deal with something like that or to process it.
'Everyone now knows the sequence of events that occurred that day - that wasn't known to us at the time.'
He added that all they knew was that a child had been stabbed and 'the offender was in the building'.
Sergeant Gillespie, alongside PC Luke Holden and PCSO Timothy Parry, all arrived at the scene but without any understanding of the scale of the stabbing.
Sergeant Gillespie and PC Holden entered the building 'shoulder to shoulder' and were immediately faced with Rudakubana, who 'showed' them the blood-stained knife.
All three officers were recognised at the Police Federation of England and Wales 2025 bravery awards.
PC Holden told the BBC: 'My hyper-vigilance increased 1,000 per cent and I was wary of everyone in every situation.
'You start thinking worst case of every situation you deal with.'
All the officers said the attack changed their lives.
Rudakubana was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of 52 years - one of the highest on record - after pleading guilty to the three murders and 10 attempted murders, plus other offences, including making the deadly toxin ricin, in January.
Police intelligence officers have been monitoring social media to look for any attempts to stir up disorder in or around Southport this week.
They want to prevent a repeat of the anti-immigration riots that spread across England after the attack last summer.
Meanwhile, Southport's town hall gardens are set to undergo a £10million renovation to commemorate the girls.
At 11 years old, Rudakubana appeared dressed as Doctor Who in a television advert for BBC Children In Need, after being recruited through a casting agency, it is understood.
A court artist's sketch of Axel Rudakubana appearing at Liverpool Crown Court
Their families said they hoped the new square and community space would serve as 'a legacy inspired by our three beautiful amazing girls'.
An inquiry earlier this month heard how various agencies including the police, the courts, the NHS and social services, failed to spot the risk posed by Rudakubana, 18, in the run-up to the attack.
Rudakubana had been referred to Prevent, the Government's counter-terror programme, three times but his case was closed prematurely because he did not have a clear political or religious motivation. He had also been caught repeatedly with a knife.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs that a review of his contact with the programme found he had 'admitted to having carried a knife more than ten times, yet the action against him was far too weak'.
She said he was referred to Prevent repeatedly because he was 'expressing interest in school shootings, the London Bridge attack, the IRA, MI5 and the Middle East'.
Tablet computers at his home showed he downloaded papers on historical violence by the Nazis, Genghis Khan and even relatively obscure conflicts in French colonies during the 17th century - plus footage of beheadings and torture.
As well as the digital discoveries, a machete and scabbard; a set of arrows; a black holdall were found in Rudakubana's bedroom at family home Banks Lancashire village five miles north Southport.
The Prevent review conducted since summer has concluded that 'too much weight was placed on absence ideology' and that his case 'should not have been closed' by counter-terror police assessing whether he posed threat.
There is currently an inquiry investigating how various agencies including police courts NHS social services failed to spot risk posed by Rudakubana 18 run-up attack.
The hearings will examine why several agencies—including police courts NHS social services—who all had contact with Rudukabana failed to identify risk he posed. It will also investigate whether attack could or should have been prevented.
Sir Adrian said that one consideration for the inquiry would be whether courts should be allowed to impose restrictions on people suspected of planning serious violent offences even if they have not committed any crime.
It will look into whether measures such as imposing curfews electronic tags internet bans restrictions social media use should be available such circumstances.
Sir Adrian said inquiry will examine whether Prevent needs overhauled address those drawn extreme violence without clear 'religious political cause.'
On second day hearings series moving impact statements parents four girls attended holiday club Hart Space Merseyside seaside town read hushed council chamber Liverpool Town Hall.
Sir Adrian said Rudakubana perpetrated 'an almost unimaginable but nonetheless mercilessly calculated' killing spree Taylor Swift-themed dance club.
The retired judge described the attack as 'one of the most egregious crimes in our country's history.'
Sir Adrian said it was 'truly critical' that the inquiry secured answers for the families of Rudakubana's victims and made recommendations to prevent anything similar happening in future.
The hearings will examine why several agencies, including police, courts, NHS and social services, who all had contact with Rudukabana, failed to identify the risk he posed. It will also investigate whether the attack could or should have been prevented.
Sir Adrian said that one consideration for the inquiry would be whether courts should be allowed to impose restrictions on people suspected of planning serious violent offences even if they have not committed any crime.
It will look into whether measures such as imposing curfews electronic tags internet bans restrictions social media use should be available in such circumstances.
Sir Adrian said inquiry will examine whether Prevent needs overhauled to address those drawn into extreme violence without clear 'religious or political cause.'
The chairman said there appeared to be several 'undisputed and troubling facts' that already suggested Rudakubana's attack was far from being 'an unforeseeable catastrophic event.'
By July last year, he had been on the radar of various State agencies for several years; had a 'known predilection for knife crime'; posed a 'very serious and significant risk of violent harm,' Sir Adrian said.
'Furthermore,' he added,'his ability unhindered access gravely violent material internet; order knives online young age; leave home unsupervised commit present attack; speaks wholesale general failure intervene effectively; indeed all; address risks posed.'
Police discovered sinister arsenal weapons—including bow arrow; two machetes; large kitchen knives; sledgehammer; materials make Molotov cocktail explosives; ingredients make deadly toxin ricin—Rudakubana's home following attack.
The widespread rioting and civil unrest following the murders is not being examined by the inquiry.
The hearings have been adjourned until September when statements from remaining relatives victims survivors expected continue.