Community vigils have been held and hundreds of thousands of pounds raised following Monday’s Southport stabbing attack, which saw three children lose their lives while attending a Taylor Swift dance class.

Police named the victims as Bebe King, six; Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven; and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, while five more children remain fighting for their lives following the tragedy, along with two dance class teachers who bravely tried to defend their pupils from the attack.

In response, fundraisers set up by fans of Taylor Swift to support the victims have raised more than £275,000 in just two days. A 17-year-old male from Banks in Lancashire, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was detained at 11.50am on Monday following the attack and remains in custody.

However, just hours later, disorder broke out outside a mosque near where the stabbing took place, with far-right protesters releasing fireworks and throwing bricks. In a statement, police said a van was set alight, officers were injured and shops were broken into and looted.

Swift herself took to Instagram to express her shock over the incident, writing: “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously and I’m just completely in shock… The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families, and first responders.

“These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”

Keir Starmer, the prime minister, who travelled to the area later in the day to lay a wreath, said the attack “touches a nerve” with the whole country and it was “awful to contemplate what happened”.

King Charles added that he and the Queen were “profoundly shocked”, writing on X that they sent their “heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies” to everyone affected by the “appalling attack”.

Amid widespread misinformation around the attack, the police and home secretary Yvette Cooper urged the public to avoid “unhelpful” speculation, saying social media companies “need to take some responsibility” for the content being shared on their sites.

Images: Getty