As family and friends sat in their grief and shock, following the appalling knife attack in Southport, misinformation metastasised on social media. From fake news websites to perennial conspiracy theorists, a far-Right mob was whipped up, leading to violent disorder in which nearly 40 police officers were injured.
That this lawlessness erupted as mourners gathered for a vigil for the three young girls who were killed on Monday is truly shocking. Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were all fatally stabbed at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club on Monday. Five girls and two adults, who were all critically injured, were still in hospital today.
