Emergency services in the northwest England town of Southport said at least eight people were hospitalized with stab wounds after police said a man was detained following reports of a mass stabbing.
The police said a knife was seized when the man was arrested and there was “no wider risk to the public.”
North West Ambulance Service said eight people with stab injuries had been transported to regional hospitals, including a pediatric facility. The condition of the victims was not immediately clear.
The pediatric facility, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, said it had declared a major incident and asked parents not to bring their children into its emergency room unless it was urgent, Reuters reported.
AP
A local business owner, Colin Parry, who called the police, told the U.K.’s Press Association news agency that he believed six or seven “young girls” had been stabbed.
“The mothers are coming here now and screaming,” he said. “It is like a scene from a horror movie.”
This developing story will be updated.
