THE PARENTS of one of the three girls killed at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Southport last month have called for an end to the nationwide rioting that followed their deaths.
The appeal was made during the emotional funeral of their young daughter.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, was one of three girls who died, along with eight others who were injured, in a stabbing attack at the event in Southport two weeks ago.
Riots erupted in Southport and spread to towns and cities across the country, fueled by false online claims that wrongly identified the suspected attacker as an Islamist migrant. A teenager, who was born in Britain, has since been charged, and police have confirmed that the incident is not being treated as terrorism.
At Aguiar's funeral, the local police chief conveyed a public appeal for calm from her grieving parents, Sergio and Alexandra.
"You have shown great courage in asking me to be here today to deliver a message from you, Alice's family, to say that you do not want any more violence on the streets of the United Kingdom in the name of your daughter," said Merseyside chief constable Serena Kennedy.
"I am ashamed, and I'm so sorry that you had to even consider this in the planning of the funeral of your beautiful daughter Alice. I hope that anyone who has taken part in the violent disorder over the past 13 days is hanging their heads in shame at the pain they have caused you, a grieving family."
More than 900 people have been arrested, and 466 charged with offences related to the disorder, mainly targeting migrants and Muslims. Many have already been sentenced and jailed as cases are fast-tracked through the courts.
Authorities believe that the swift and firm response, along with thousands attending counter-protests, has discouraged further protests, which Keir Starmer condemned as "far-right thuggery."
Starmer has canceled his holiday plans to manage the response, with more arrests and charges expected in the coming months, according to prosecutors. Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood noted that the impact on the judicial system would be felt for years.
At Aguiar's funeral, her white coffin, covered in pink flowers, was brought to the church in a white horse-drawn carriage as hundreds of locals lined the streets in applause.
"You were taken away from us too soon, and we often ask why? Why here? Why us? Why you?" her parents said in a tribute read by the girl's uncle.
"We will never get over this pain, but we promise to get all the answers. Mummy has seen too much, and we need to know. We feel shocked, unimaginable pain. We miss you ... For now, our beloved angel, keep dancing. Mummy and daddy will always, always love you."
Two other girls, Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, were also killed. Bebe's parents issued a statement on Saturday saying her death had shattered their world and revealed that her older sister Genie had witnessed the attack and managed to escape.
Politicians and police have blamed online disinformation for fueling the violence. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced that schoolchildren would be taught how to identify fake news and "putrid conspiracy theories" on social media.
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has written to the Association of British Insurers to ensure that compensation to shops damaged by rioting is paid swiftly.
(With inputs from Reuters)
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.