police had been minutes after the police had been taught, said the incident happened at hope of hart children's club done at hope of hart children's club done a back street at a former warehouse, saying the victims were children and describes one girl on a stretcher covered in blood, really distressing and very upsetting. josh, an absolutely traumatic day for the people of hart street in southport and the wider community and across the country, people will be looking at these pictures and this story is the details start to emerge of what has happened there today. it is the details start to emerge of what has happened there today.- has happened there today. it is a truly horrifying — has happened there today. it is a truly horrifying incident - has happened there today. it is a truly horrifying incident to - has happened there today. it is a truly horrifying incident to think i truly horrifying incident to think of. it is the first proper week of the summer holidays here in merseyside and this is a busy summer resort. it is sunny, you can imagine how busy, the mood that is usually here but today the mood is entirely different. nobody wants to ever imagine these scenes would happen, especially as you say when we now know there are children likely involved given that those patients

were taken to alder hey which is a major children's hospital, around 30 mitts away from here. you can see although the police have asked people to stay away to enable them to do theirjobs properly and to fully investigate and do what they need to do here at the scene, there are local people naturally wondering what has happened, concerned for their safety, concerned for the children's safety given what we know now around alder hey hospital but really here, what it feels like from this initial... i was at the scene about half an hour ago speak to locals, shock is the word i would use to describe what happened, it doesn't feel like the severity of this situation has yet sunk in and we don't yet have full, complete details. as the day goes on, there are likely to be more details, police, emergency services, local mps will be releasing a statement throughout the day. i wouldn't be surprised if there was some sort of press conference at some point given this has been declared a major incident. this has been declared a ma'or incident. g , ., ., this has been declared a ma'or incident. g ., ., ., ~ incident. 0k, josh, for now, thank ou ve incident. 0k, josh, for now, thank you very much. — incident. 0k, josh, for now, thank you very much. we _ incident. 0k, josh, for now, thank you very much, we will _

incident. 0k, josh, for now, thank you very much, we will let - incident. 0k, josh, for now, thank you very much, we will let you - you very much, we will let you continue your reporting from there and gathering more information for us. let's go back to our home affairs correspondent daniel sandford who was across all the developments and has some new information for us, daniel? the prime minister _ information for us, daniel? fie: prime minister keir starmer information for us, daniel? i“i;e: prime minister keir starmer has now also released a statement saying horrendous and deeply shocking news emerging from southport, my thoughts are with all those affected. i would like to thank the police and emergency services for their swift response. i am emergency services for their swift response. iam being kept emergency services for their swift response. i am being kept updated as the situation develops. so clearly the situation develops. so clearly the prime minister himself now being kept across the detail of what has happened on hart street in southport today because of the high number of casualties and because of the fact that children are seemed to have been involved at the heart of this incident. that gives you an indication of how serious this incident is, been described by the prime minister as horrendous and deeply shocking news emerging from southport and thanking the police and emergency services for the swift response. just to remind people,

this seems to have happened just about 11:50am this morning, we seem to have at least eight people having been treated with stab wounds, that were seen by north west ambulance service who sent 13 ambulances, an air ambulance service who sent 13 ambulances, an airambulance and service who sent 13 ambulances, an air ambulance and specialist doctors to the scene and then have taken patients to three different hospitals including the alder hey children's hospital which obviously makes it clear that there were children among those who were seriously injured in this incident. the police have detained a man, they have seized a knife. they believe the situation is under control and there is no wider threat to the public but this will have been an absolutely shocking and deeply distressing thing to have happened just before midday on the first monday of the summer holidays on a glorious sunny day in southport. i was in southport only a couple of months ago myself, it has a glorious stretch of beach overlooking the irish sea there just at the mouth of

the river mersey. it is a stunning seaside location, a very, very popular pleasure beach, as it were, in that part of the world so they will have also been a family to southport because of the glorious weather and we see from images of the scene, not only the very high number of police vehicles, police officers, ambulance staff present but also the fact there were lots of children and families out there summer holiday clothing, wearing shorts and t—shirts who will have been looking forward to the weeks of the summer holiday ahead and what we seem to have had is an incident possibly actually at a children's event itself on hart street in which eight people have ended up being treated for stab wounds and a large number of casualties and the possibility also of a fatality or fatalities. so it has turned into a terrible, terrible monday at the

start of the summer holidays on merseyside, i am afraid. absolutely dreadful and — merseyside, i am afraid. absolutely dreadful and shocking. _ merseyside, i am afraid. absolutely dreadful and shocking. daniel, - merseyside, i am afraid. absolutely dreadful and shocking. daniel, we l dreadful and shocking. daniel, we have had a couple of statements from the police, how soon do you think before we get more information? to before we get more information? “irr before we get more information? “irr be honest with you, i think they are not going to want to say anything more till the picture is absolutely clear now. they have obviously given early information about the seriousness of the incident, the large number of casualties, the fact it is being treated as a major incident and the ambulance service is made clear to everyone the large number of people that they have had to treat and i think at that point, the police will now want to try and get a really, really, really clear picture on what has happened before they give any more significant detail and clearly because they have got somebody in custody and the possibility of charges ahead then they need to be also careful about what they say publicly so i don't think we will get a lot more detail quickly and then when we do get significant amount of more detailed, presumably at some point late this

afternoon, then even that won't be the full picture because of the possibility of there being criminal proceedings in the courts. so what i think will be the terrible moment today will be when we understand whether or not anyone has died in this incident and if so, what the numbers of fatalities are because it is absolutely deeply shocking that eight people could be treated at a scene involving lots of children for stab wounds but what everyone will be hoping is the number of fatalities is kept to an absolute minimum. fatalities is kept to an absolute minimum-— fatalities is kept to an absolute minimum. , ._ , , minimum. daniel, stay with us, “ust want to bring — minimum. daniel, stay with us, “ust want to bring in fl minimum. daniel, stay with us, “ust want to bring in a i minimum. daniel, stay with us, “ust want to bring in a statement i minimum. daniel, stay with us, just want to bring in a statement from . want to bring in a statement from the home secretary yvette cooper who has been speaking at the house of commons, reacting to this news in the past few minutes. i commons, reacting to this news in the past few minutes.— the past few minutes. i want to siml the past few minutes. i want to simply say _ the past few minutes. i want to simply say that _ the past few minutes. i want to simply say that l _ the past few minutes. i want to simply say that i know - the past few minutes. i want to simply say that i know the - the past few minutes. i want to l simply say that i know the whole house _ simply say that i know the whole house would be very concerned at the extremely— house would be very concerned at the extremely serious incident that has taken _ extremely serious incident that has taken place in southport. all of our

thoughts _ taken place in southport. all of our thoughts will be with the family and loved _ thoughts will be with the family and loved ones of those who are affected _ loved ones of those who are affected. i have been in contact with the — affected. i have been in contact with the merseyside police and crime commissioner and the merseyside mayor— commissioner and the merseyside mayor to— commissioner and the merseyside mayor to convey my support for the police _ mayor to convey my support for the police and _ mayor to convey my support for the police and commend the emergency service _ police and commend the emergency service for— police and commend the emergency service for their swift response. the response to this awful incident is currently — the response to this awful incident is currently unfolding and the house and the _ is currently unfolding and the house and the public will be updated in due course. the and the public will be updated in due course-— and the public will be updated in due course. the home secretary the 're due course. the home secretary they're reiterating _ due course. the home secretary they're reiterating the _ due course. the home secretary i they're reiterating the seriousness of this incident and daniel, mass stabbings in this country are extremely rare, aren't they? the?r extremely rare, aren't they? they are extremely _ extremely rare, aren't they? they are extremely rare. _ extremely rare, aren't they? i“ia: are extremely rare. obviously we have had some very high—profile mass stabbings which have linked to terrorism and then we have had some exceptionally distressing mass stabbings, most infamously of course in dunblane back in i996i believe

that was when a significant number of primary schoolchildren were stabbed to death in a mass stabbing but this isn't something that is in any way, and the number of mass stabbings involving children on this scale, really the only one i can immediately think of is the dunblane primary school incident in 1996. though thankfully this does not look at there has been any kind of significant number of fatalities as we saw in the dunblane incident which was half a class of children killed along with their class teacher but this is not something thatis teacher but this is not something that is common and most often it is related either to terrorism or to mental health and of course that is where the focus of the police investigation will be as to what it is that would have driven someone to possibly stab a large number of

children at the beginning of the summer holidays and that is going to be an important part of the investigation in the hours and days ahead, not only about what happened but also on what the motivation may have been behind that but there is no suggestion at this stage for example it is a terrorist incident. this is something police are describing as an isolated incident with no wider threat to the public and they do have a man in custody and they do have a man in custody and they do have a man in custody and they have seized the weapon. daniel, thank you. this is the scene live in southport where there is a large police presidents —— presence. at least eight people have suffered stab injuries in a major dent in hart street in southport. the patients, among them children, taken to three hospitals and alder hey children's hospital has declared a major incident now as a result, urging parents to only bring patients in if it is urgent. as we were hearing, armed police arrested

a man and seized a knife within one hour or so of this incident unfolding and police have reiterated there is no wider threat to the public. we have heard from the prime minister a short time ago, keir starmer has reacted to the incident describing it as horrendous and deeply shocking news put up in a post on social media, he said, my thoughts are with all of those affected, i would like to thank the police and emergency services for their swift response. he said he is being kept updated as the situation develops. we have heard various eyewitnesses as well being quoted on the bbc live page with very distressing testimonies as to what they have heard and saw. the home secretary says she is deeply concerned, all her thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected. she is in touch with merseyside police and crime commissioner to convey full support to the police and thanks to the emergency services. merseyside police commissioner emily spurrell

reiterated a man has been arrested and there is no wider risk to the public. she also urged people to be careful about what they share online and not to speculate about this incident. you can keep across this on the bbc news life page and we will of course keep you up—to—date as well. now, we are going to get a check on the weather picture. lots of sunny and dry weather to come today and for some of you, it is going to be feeling increasingly hot. that is how the capital looked as we started off the day, one of the big questions is is this going to be a heat wave? for sum, it could be because across parts of england and wales we need three consecutive days of temperatures above around 27 or 28 celsius and there will be parts of the midlands, east anglia and south—east england likely to see temperatures above those levels and so for some, yes, this looks like being the first day of a heatwave. the best of the sunshine, the highest temperatures will be across england and wales where we have

dishonest skies but further north, northern ireland and scotland, not a bad kind of day. most bases dry with sunny spells, temperatures for the most part above average but across england and wales, we will see temperatures widely in the mid to high 20s and peaking at around 29 celsius this afternoon. then there will be a very warm light to follow, some of our towns and cities across eastern england hovering into the high teens as you perhaps think about heading off to sleep. eventually, there is temperature dropped to around 1a, 15 celsius. after a mild start tomorrow and more of the same on the way. they could be the odd isolated shower for the north—west of scotland, otherwise it is dry with plenty of sunshine and if anything it is set to get even hotter across parts of england and to a degree wales having some high temperatures, too. 32 degrees in the london area, the highest temperature we have seen so far this year is 31.9 so it is going to be there or thereabouts for the highest interpreter of the year and tuesday looks like being the hottest of the next few days —— temperature of the

year. wednesday, small chances of a show across england and wales, most are staying dry. some patchy cloud across scotland and northern ireland, still quite warm but at those temperatures, high 20s to low 30s. then thursday, we are looking at some thundery rain developing, could be heavy enough to cause some localised surface water flooding so we need to keep a close eye on that. as that cleans up the way, friday and the weekend we see this area of low pressure started to dominate the picture, bringing some outbreaks of rain particularly to the north—west of the uk, a few showers elsewhere, the more significant feature will be the more significant feature will be the end of the heatwave with temperatures coming back closer to average for the time of year. there speak to patrick who joins me

now. live from london. this is bbc news. a major breaking story in the uk — at least eight people have been stabbed in southport in the north west of england. some of the victims have been sent to a a nearby children's hospital. the prime minister sir keir starmer has described the incident as horrendous and deeply shocking. this is the scene live — we'll have the latest from our home affairs correspondent and our teams on the ground and the develoing political reaction. we also wait for the latest police and ambulance update. our other main stories... foreign citizens in lebanon are urged to return to their home countries amid rising expectations

of a major israeli strike after a rocket attack killed 12 children playing football. claims of a budget 'black hole' in the uk — which the chancellor rachel reeves blames on the conservatives. she's about to announce billions of pounds of spending cuts. and we hear from tom daley after winning his fifth olympic medal — silver in the men's synchronised 10m dive alongside noah williams in paris. hello, i'm matthew amroliwala. welcome to verified live. we start with that major breaking story in the uk — eight people have been stabbed and taken to hospital following a "major incident" in southport in the north west of england. merseyside police said it had received reports of a stabbing and were called to a property on hart street in the town at about 11:50 bst. armed police "detained a male and seized a knife" and the force said there was no wider threat to the public.