Officers who confronted Southport killer honoured

Three police officers who confronted Southport knife attacker Axel Rudakubana have been honoured for their bravery.

Sgt Gregory Gillespie, PC Luke Holden and PCSO Timothy Parry were the first officers to arrive on the scene at the Taylor Swift-themed workshop on 29 July last year.

Rudakubana, then 17, murdered Alice Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and injured 10 others including eight children.

The three Merseyside Police officers, who approached the killer as he was standing at the top of a flight of stairs holding a large knife, were recognised at the Police Federation of England and Wales 2025 bravery awards.

Sgt Gillespie was the first to arrive at Hart Street in Southport and he described seeing "chaos", with "extremely panicked" people in the street.

He directed paramedics to a seriously injured child before being joined by PC Holden and PCSO Parry.

They witnessed members of the public running away from the dance studio carrying young children.

Armed with a baton and a Taser, Sgt Gillespie and PC Holden entered the building while PCSO Parry covered the exit.

They found Rudakubana, then aged 17, holding a large knife at the top of the stairs.

They approached while shouting at him to drop the knife. PCSO Parry also ran in to assist.

Rudakubana, who was jailed for a minimum of 52 years in January, dropped the weapon and was handcuffed and arrested after the trio struck him with a baton.

Police Federation of England and Wales national chairwoman Tiff Lynch said of all the winners: "Whether confronting violent attackers, rescuing individuals from life-threatening situations, or making split-second decisions under immense pressure, these officers have shown exceptional courage and selflessness".