Southport attack stirs memories of Dunblane as investigations begin

The attack in Southport will join a mercifully short list of such incidents targeting children in British history. Photograph: Temilade Adelaja/Reuters

It will come as little, if any comfort, in the days and months to come, that targeted attacks on groups of children at play are mercifully rare in the UK.

The worst in British history was the Dunblane massacre in March 1996 when a gunman walked into a school and killed 16 children and a teacher, before taking his own life. Thomas Hamilton, armed with guns, carried out his attack in the picturesque Scottish village, opening fire on a class of five- and six-year-olds.