A 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murders of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport.

Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were fatally stabbed on Monday.

Eight other children suffered knife wounds – with five of them in a critical condition – while two adults were also critically hurt.

Speaking at a late-night press conference, Merseyside Police said the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been charged with three counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder.