The funeral of Alice da Silva Aguiar, one of the three girls killed in the Southport attacks, has drawn hundreds of mourners, who gathered to pay their respects to the nine-year-old at St Patrick’s Catholic Church. Alice died from her injuries a day after a knifeman attacked children attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class back on 29 July. Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, also died in the attack, and eight other girls and two adults were injured.
Balloons were held and bubbles released before the cortege arrived, and applause broke out as the procession approached the church. Pink ribbons and balloons were tied to lampposts and garden walls. Many mourners listened as the service was broadcast through speakers outside the packed church. Alice’s parents Sergio and Alexandra were joined by family and friends, including about 30 uniformed police officers, Chief Constable of Merseyside Police Serena Kennedy, and representatives from the ambulance and fire services.
During the service, Alice’s head teacher, Jinnie Payne of Churchtown Primary School, described her as a “curious girl” who “never forgot the details.” Ms Payne said one of her teachers had named her baby after Alice, news that appeared to deeply affect her mother. Father John Heneghan, who led the funeral service, previously described Alice as a “wonderfully happy girl” who brought “joy to her mum and dad,” and added that the town’s residents were “very bruised and would be for a long time” following the attack, and that many were “horrified” by how the stabbings had been used as an excuse to spark disorder across the UK
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