A DEESIDE man who has long campaigned against the use of knives has paid a visit to an English town rocked by 'horrific' attacks this week.

Three young girls have been confirmed dead following the incident which took place at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, on Monday (July 29).

Tributes have been paid to six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar.

Eddie Duggan, from Shotton, has long been an anti-knife campaigner.

He was part of the team of dedicated campaigners which brought justice for Jade Ward, who was murdered by her estranged partner Russell Marsh in 2022.

Jade's Law, which suspends the parental rights of a parent who kills the other, successfully passed through Parliament.

More recently, Mr Duggan has been teamed up with North Wales Police in a bid to educate children about the dangers of knife crime.

Now, during his current campaign, he wants to encourage the government to, at the very least, debate the pros and cons of creating a Dedicated Minister for Knife Crime Prevention.

Mr Duggan has paid a visit to Southport following the stabbings earlier this week.

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He said: "I have been, and still am, campaigning for a dedicated department, either at Westminster or other Government building which will concentrate on knife crime prevention and nothing else. If not a minister then perhaps the creation of a UK Commissioner.

"These events in Southport are absolutely horrific and I am so sorry to have had to yet again go to a scene where this has happened.

"I travelled this morning (July 30) to both pay my respects and absorb the enormity of the incident. It begs the question; 'How many more people have to be stabbed before the Government actually sit up and take notice?' 

(Image: Eddie Duggan) PIC: Tributes left to victims in Southport.

"I acknowledge that there is now a brand new Government and are only a few weeks into their administration, but my hope is that now they are in charge of things, including knife crime prevention, and that those in charge will start to take this campaign seriously.

"This is not just happening in the big cities. Southport is just a small seaside town and I was talking to somebody earlier on in the cafe and they are devastated by it, they just can't believe that this could happen here."

 

17-year-old Axel Rudakubana has been charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder over the attack which took place at a holiday club.