Six heartbreaking memories of Southport attack victims their parents want you to know

The parents of Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe, who were killed on with Alice Dasilva Aguiar astatine a Taylor Swift-themed creation nine successful Southport, person opened up astir losing their children

Parents of the small girls stabbed to decease successful Southport person shared six heartbreaking memories of their children.

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, were killed astatine a Taylor Swift-themed children’s vacation nine successful the Merseyside municipality connected July 29 past year.

The children had been dropped disconnected and were enjoying the creation class fixed by Leanne Lucas erstwhile Axel Rudakubana, past 17, launched his weapon rampage. The parents of Bebe and Elsie person present opened up astir however they learnt astir the fearfulness unfolding and they person besides reflected connected the lives of the girls, shedding airy connected their peculiar personalities.

Bebe’s mother, 41, who works for a question steadfast and father, 43, who is employed by HM Revenue & Customs can’t beryllium named due to the fact that of a tribunal order. Their girl had had been taught ballet by Heidi Barlow, a person of Ms Lucas, who helped tally the Taylor Swift lawsuit and besides did puppy yoga with Ms Lucas.

Elsie’s mum Jenni said and she told however her hubby David dropped her disconnected astatine the lawsuit astatine 10am. And the program was for Elsie to beryllium picked up by the parent of a friend, and she would spell and play with her pal until 3pm.

'One of a kind'

“Everyone says it, don’t they,” Jenni Stancombe said of her girl Elsie. “That they’re 1 of a kind? But she genuinely was. It was an honour to beryllium her mum. Sometimes I deliberation radical are calved special, and I genuinely judge she was.”

Caring

Elsie's grandma died 2 years agone and she was ever acrophobic astir her dada David's loss. Mum Jenni said that erstwhile David went retired moving Elsie “would beryllium like, ‘I’ll tally with you, Dad. I’ll spell retired with you, Dad’.” Elsie erstwhile saw her dada with his caput down. “She came implicit and said, ‘You’re reasoning astir Nana, aren’t you?’,” said David. “And I said, ‘yeah’. But she would ever inquire Jenni astir her Nana and not me. It’s similar she conscionable knew.”

Private tutor

Elsie had a backstage tutor to assistance her with speechmaking and penning who was Leanne Lucas, the creation tutor who was besides stabbed during the tragedy. “Elsie went to Leanne for 18 months for backstage tutoring each Saturday morning. I was conscionable trying to springiness her a amended commencement successful life, that’s each it was…,” said Jenni, arsenic she cried astatine the realisation that it was this transportation that led to Elsie going to the Taylor Swift creation class.

Humour

Bebe King's mum has told however she would bash impressions and marque everyone laugh. “One of the things that was truly peculiar astir her was that she was hilarious," she said. "She utilized to marque maine belly laugh. She would bash impressions. She would effort anserine accents. Even erstwhile she was a babe she would person maine belly laughing."

Headstrong

And Bebe's mum told of her daughter's beardown quality giving 1 illustration of erstwhile she wanted to person a dress. “I was looking astatine videos of america successful Marks & Spencer, and successful 1 she picked up an Elsa formal (from Frozen) and looked astatine me, and I said, ‘Bebe, you’re not getting that dress’, and she said” - with her mum putting connected a stern dependable — "‘I’ve told you 5 times I privation this dress’.”

Full of life

Bebe’s dada remembers his daughter's assurance and going implicit to comfortableness different children who were shy astatine emblematic kids' parties were galore radical wouldn't cognize each other. “She would spell implicit to the shy ones and she would virtually propulsion them in. She was truthful assured and afloat of life,” helium said.

The Southport assemblage rapidly rallied circular aft the tragedy. The pursuing day, hundreds of tributes were near adjacent to the constabulary cordon successful Hart Street. Staff from Natterjacks Day Nursery laid flowers and a heart-shaped artwork, decorated with children’s handprints.

A connection connected the artwork said: “The brightest stars are present dancing with the angels successful heaven. Shine agleam small ones, we volition ne'er hide your smiles and laughter.” The King suspended his accepted Balmoral interruption to sojourn Southport and clasp a backstage gathering with immoderate of the injured young children and their families astatine the municipality hallway connected August 20.

Before sitting down with the families, Charles spent a fewer moments looking astatine flowers near extracurricular and went connected a little walkabout, gathering well-wishers who had cheered erstwhile helium arrived. He aboriginal stopped astatine Southport Community Fire Station and chatted to galore of the exigency services members who had dealt with the fatal incident.

The pursuing day, Charles met the families of the 3 victims during a backstage assemblage astatine Clarence House successful London. On August 23, the ceremonial of Elsie Dot Stancombe – the last ceremonial to beryllium held for the 3 victims – took spot successful the town. A horse-drawn carriage travelled from the household location done streets decorated with pinkish ribbons to St John’s Church successful Birkdale.

Elsie’s coffin, topped with a bluish cuddly toy, was carried up a pinkish carpet arsenic members of her cheerleading squad, Vortex Cheer, formed a defender of honour, earlier going into the gathering done a balloon arch arsenic bubbles were blown into the air. Those attending the work wore agleam colours and florals, aft Elsie’s household asked those attending not to deterioration black, portion others watched the ceremonial connected screens astatine the religion hallway and Liverpool Road Methodist Church. As the cortege passed floral tributes successful Southport municipality centre aft the service, hundreds gathered and applauded.