Girls who survived Southport attack meet again: ‘It was like having big sisters’

Parents speak for first time about daughters’ heroism on the day and their courage in dealing with critical injuries, scars and trauma

From the outside, the small gathering of young girls looked like an ordinary playdate. They chatted giddily, practised pilates and twirled around in their new outfits to the music of Harry Styles.

But on the sidelines, some of the parents were in tears. The last time these girls shared a room was on 29 July 2024. That day, they fled in fear as a hooded teenager turned a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport into one of the most horrific attacks on children in modern British history.