A "major incident" resulted in the stabbing of eight people, who were thereafter hospitalized.

At approximately 11:50 BST, Merseyside Police reported that they had been called to a residence on Hart Street in Southport in response to "reports of a stabbing".

According to the force, there was "no wider threat to the public" after armed police "detained a male and seized a knife".

Eight individuals with stab wounds were treated by North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), with some of them being transported to Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

Alder Hey Children's Hospital has declared a "major incident".

A hospital spokesman said: "We can confirm that the trust has declared a major incident.

"The trust is working with other emergency services to respond to this incident and our emergency department is currently extremely busy."

The hospital asked parents to only bring their children in if it was urgent, adding all other appointments and services were running as normal.

Others who received stab injuries have been taken to Aintree University Hospital and Southport and Formby Hospital.

North West Ambulance Service added on X, formerly Twitter: "We have dispatched 13 ambulances along with specialised resources of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), Air Ambulance and Merit Doctors to the scene."

'Deeply concerned'

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was "deeply concerned" about the "very serious incident".

In a post on X, she said: "I am deeply concerned at the very serious incident in Southport.

"My sympathies are with the impacted people's families and loved ones.

"I have spoken to the Merseyside Police & Crime Commissioner to convey full support to the police & thanks to the emergency services responding."

One of the people who phoned the police was a local business owner who compared the occurrence to a "scene from a horror movie."

Colin Parry, owner of Masters Vehicle Body Repairs on Hart Street, said he believed six or seven "young girls" had been stabbed.

He told the PA news agency: "The mothers are coming here now and screaming.

"It is like a scene from a horror movie.

"It's like something from America, not like sunny Southport."

A woman who lives nearby told the Liverpool Echo she heard sirens and a helicopter circling at about 12:20 BST.

"Then the messages started to go around the local WhatsApp groups, saying 'lock your windows, lock your doors', we were told a man was running around stabbing people," she said.

"We are all absolutely terrified, panicking and sick with worry - everyone is trying to reach anyone they know in the area. I don't know how this can happen on a Monday lunchtime."