Hundreds of people gathered for the funeral of a nine-year-old girl who was killed in a stabbing attack in Southport.
Members of the public lined a street in the city of Merseyside to pay tribute to Alice da Silva Aguiar as the funeral procession arrived.
They were joined by around 30 uniformed police officers and Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy.
Photo: PA
Applause erupted from the crowd as the carriage containing Alice’s white coffin approached the entrance to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
The carriage was pulled by two white horses with orange and white plumes.
Photo: PA
Alice’s parents, Sérgio and Alexandra, joined family and friends for the service, while several hundred people listened outside as the service was broadcast on loudspeakers.
Pink ribbons and balloons were tied to lamp posts and garden walls across the city.
Photo: PA
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy outside St Patrick’s Church, Southport. Photo: PA
Alice died along with six-year-old Bebe King and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe in the attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29.
On Saturday, Bebe’s parents, Lauren and Ben described her daughter as “full of joy, light and love.”
“She will always remain in our hearts as the sweet, kind and spirited girl we adored,” the couple said.
They also revealed that Bebe’s nine-year-old sister Genie witnessed the attack and managed to escape.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, was charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder.
(LR) Southport victims Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice Dasilva Aguiar
The incident caused chaos across the country after misinformation spread online that the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said 779 people were arrested over the riots, of which 349 were charged.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
