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Three police officers, who have been voted Britain’s bravest officers, have described confronting, disarming and arresting the Southport killer Axel Rudakubana.

The trio, from the Merseyside force, were first on the scene as the crazed teenager rampaged with a knife through a children’s dance workshop last summer, murdering three youngsters and attacking others.

Southport wasn’t Sergeant Greg Gillespie’s beat and he was there that day covering for a colleague on holiday.

He described the scene outside the building on Hart Street as he arrived on his own.

He said: “There was maybe 20 or 25 adults, and all of them were looking at me, and all of them have this look of terror and fear, panic on their faces and I knew whatever it was we were turning up to was really, really bad.”

CCTV showing an officer being led by a member of the public to the building where Axel Rudakubana had launched his attack
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CCTV showed the moment Sergeant Greg Gillespie arrived, on his own, at the building where Rudakubana was. Pic: Merseyside Police

His colleagues PC Luke Holden, 31, and PCSO Tim Parry, 32, drove fast from Southport police station and were 30 seconds or so behind Sgt Gillespie.

PC Holden said: “I jumped out of the police car, and immediately there were people running up to me and one was an off-duty colleague who was screaming and crying, pointing ‘he’s in there, he’s there’ and then as I started to run to the building I could see blood all over the floor.

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“As I got to the door, that was partially smashed. Greg was stood there one foot in, one foot out.

“There was a large puddle of blood on the floor outside the door and he just looked at me for one second and said, are you ready? And that was it, there was no conversation.

“There was nothing else going on. He said, ‘Are you ready’, and I said, ‘yeah, let’s go’.”

PC Luke Holden (left), PCSO Tim Parry (centre), Sgt Greg Gillespie (right) nominated for the police bravery awards
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(L-R) PC Luke Holden, PCSO Tim Parry and Sergeant Greg Gillespie told Sky News about confronting Rudakubana

‘It was a horrific scene’

PCSO Parry, who doesn’t carry a baton or a pepper spray like his colleagues, went to the back of the building to stop people going, help anyone who needed it and get information on the number of suspects inside.

He said: “It was a horrific scene to really go into because I was so unprepared with the equipment I had.”

An additional problem for the three officers was the absence of firearms back-up; none of the force’s armed response units were close by.

Axel Rudakubana in a taxi before the Southport attack. Pic: Merseyside Police
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Rudakubana arrived in a taxi in Southport before launching his attack. Pic: Merseyside Police

Inside the building was death, injury, fear and chaos.

PC Holden said: “Walking in, I identified the suspect with a bloodied knife in his hand at the top of the stairs, pointed my taser at him and thought this is going to go one of two ways.

“He’s gonna listen to us or he’s gonna fight with us and try and stab us.

“Me and Greg formed a solid wall with our shoulders, walking up the stairs so he couldn’t get past us.

“He was a couple of metres away, within striking distance, and I thought if he does anything to threaten me or any sort of movement I don’t like, he would be tasered immediately.”

Rudakubana was a ‘coward’

Sgt Gillespie, 42, said he’d read media reports suggesting Rudakubana had already decided to give himself up by the time police arrived.

He said: “I disagree with that. I saw him, made eye contact with him, saw his facial expression, saw his body language and the way he moved himself into a position at the top of the stairs, showing us he had a knife.

“He was fronting us, like he was saying ‘I’ve got a knife, what are you going to do about it?’ And I think the second he realised he was looking at two people who weren’t scared of him… all that bravery that he must have summoned up to attack defenceless children… he lost that straightaway and he threw down the knife.

“It’d be hard to paint him as more of a coward than he actually is, but I think that shows a lot. He was all brave to attack children, but the second he saw two men walking towards him, he didn’t want to know.”

Body-worn camera footage shows the moment Axel Rudakubana was arrested
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Body-worn camera footage shows the moment Axel Rudakubana was arrested. Pic: Merseyside Police

But the officers had no idea if Rudakubana had more weapons, so they attacked him and knocked him to the ground.

PCSO Parry ended up on top of the suspect.

He said: “Through adrenaline I just kind of put him on his front to make sure he wasn’t going anywhere until other colleagues arrived.

“I was trying to alert anyone else hiding in the building that everything had, hopefully, now stopped and we would deal with them as best we could and make sure they were safe.”

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Southport inquiry hears from injured victims’ parents

Read more:
Girl still ‘fighting to survive’ Southport attack
Mum of Southport victim praises community
Teacher calls for girl to be remembered

In January, Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, admitted the murders of seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar who was nine.

He also admitted the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults. He was jailed for life with a minimum of 52 years to serve.

Alice da Silva Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King were murdered in an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed class.
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(L-R) Alice da Silva Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King were murdered in the attack

Bravery award is ‘bittersweet’

At his sentencing, the judge said that if he hadn’t been stopped he would have gone on to kill all 26 children at the dance class.

“By the time we got the call I think it was already too late to save two of the victims,” said Sgt Gillespie.

“But there was an adult, one of the dance teachers, who was shielding another child in the toilet, within arm’s distance from him and I don’t think he realised.

“If he had known they were there I’m sure he would have tried to attack them, so it’s a good job we got there when we did because we potentially saved them from being injured or killed.”


PC Luke Holden (left), PCSO Tim Parry (centre), Sgt Greg Gillespie (right) nominated for the police bravery awards
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Pic: Merseyside Police Federation

Before winning last night’s accolade, PCSO Parry summed up the trio’s thoughts about their bravery award nomination.

He said: “It’s bittersweet. I feel proud being nominated, but it comes off the back of such a horrific incident.

“It’s hard to explain. It’s good to have the recognition from your peers and colleagues, but in my eyes it’s not like a celebration.”

70 officers from around England and Wales were nominated for the Police Federation national bravery awards.

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Lingering dread over what else about Prince Andrew could still emerge

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Lingering dread over what else about Prince Andrew could still emerge

Just a cursory glance at the headlines, and it’s clear the disgrace and downfall of Prince Andrew is not over.

So what next for the man and the monarchy?

The King might have hoped his involvement showed direct action had been taken.

He certainly does not want any distraction from his upcoming state visit to the Vatican.

But that might be wishful thinking.

Now the Met Police has been dragged in too. Forced to look into reports in the Mail on Sunday that Andrew asked his protection officer to smear his accuser, Virginia Giuffre.

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Police ‘looking into’ Andrew claims

The prince allegedly wanted his officer “to dig up dirt” and told an aide at the palace what he had done.

More on Prince Andrew

Let’s be clear: back then, Andrew’s security was funded by the taxpayer.

So are we reaching the endgame, and what does that look like?

Andrew might have given up the use of his title, Duke of York, and other honours too.

Read more:
Call for Prince Andrew to ‘live in exile’

How Prince Andrew allegations unfolded
Everything we know about titles decision

But what about his style ‘prince’? Some want that ditched too.

It’s a complicated but not impossible process. Andrew could, of course, just stop using it voluntarily.

Some want him to give up his home, too. For a non-working royal, the stately Royal Lodge, with its plum position on the Windsor Estate, is an uncomfortable optic.

Andrew’s wider family is worried. The Sunday Times has reported that the Prince of Wales wants him cut off completely.

With the reputation of the monarchy at risk, William does not want to appear weak. He’s putting loyalty to “the firm” firmly above his familial relationships.

Prince Andrew has always strongly denied the allegations, and restated on Friday: “I vigorously deny the accusations against me”. Sky News has approached him for comment on the fresh allegations set out in the Mail on Sunday.

But with Virginia Giuffre’s tragic death and posthumous memoir due out on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace will be braced for more scandal.

When Andrew gave up his titles, there was certainly a sense of relief.

There is now a sense of dread over what else could emerge.

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Why Andrew hasn’t given up being a prince – amid call for him to ‘live in exile’

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Why Andrew hasn't given up being a prince - amid call for him to 'live in exile'

Sky News’ royal commentator has explained why Prince Andrew has not given up being called a prince – while another expert has said “the decent thing” for him to do would be “go into exile” overseas.

Andrew announced on Friday that he would stop using his Duke of York title and relinquish all other honours, including his role as a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

However, he will continue to be known as a prince.

Royal commentator Alastair Bruce said that while Andrew’s other honours and titles were conferred to him later in life, he became a prince when he was born to Elizabeth II while she was queen.

He told presenter Kamali Melbourne: “I think […] that style was quite special to the late Queen,” he said. “And perhaps the King, for the moment, thinks that can be left alone.

“It’s a matter really for the King, for the royal household, perhaps with the guidance and advice of government, which I’m sure they are taking.”

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Who pushed Andrew to drop his titles?

Since Andrew’s announcement, there has been speculation over whether any further measures will be taken – and one author has now called for him to “go into exile”.

More on Prince Andrew

Andrew Lownie, author of The Rise And Fall Of The House Of York, said: “The only way the story will go away is if he leaves Royal Lodge, goes into exile abroad with his ex-wife, and is basically stripped of all his honours, including Prince Andrew.”

Royal Lodge is the Windsor mansion Andrew lives in with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who has also lost her Duchess of York title.

Andrew and his former wife continue to live on the Windsor estate. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Andrew and his former wife continue to live on the Windsor estate. Pic: Reuters

Mr Lownie continued: “He makes out he’s an honourable man and he’s putting country and family first. Well, if he is, then the optics look terrible for the monarchy. A non-working royal in a 30-room Crown Estate property with a peppercorn rent.

“He should do the decent thing and go. And frankly, he should go into exile.”

Mr Lownie added if the Royal Family “genuinely want to cut links, they have to put pressure on him to voluntarily get out”.

Read more from Sky News:
How Prince Andrew allegations unfolded
William and Camilla’s influential roles

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Windsor’s take on Prince Andrew

Andrew’s decision to stop using his titles was announced amid renewed scrutiny of his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and fresh stories linked to the late Virginia Giuffre.

Ms Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, alleged she was sexually assaulted by Andrew on three occasions – which he has always vigorously denied.

The former duke paid to settle a civil sexual assault case with Ms Giuffre in 2022, despite insisting he had never met her.

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Families whose loved ones took their lives after buying poison online write to PM

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Families whose loved ones took their lives after buying poison online write to PM

Bereaved families whose loved ones took their own lives after buying the same poison online have written to the prime minister demanding urgent action.

Warning: This article contains references to suicide

The group claims there have been “multiple missed opportunities” to shut down online forums that promote suicide and dangerous substances.

They warn that over 100 people have died after purchasing a particular poison in the last 10 years.

Among those who have written to Downing Street is Pete Aitken, whose daughter Hannah was 22 when she took her own life after buying the poison from a website.

Hannah was autistic and had ADHD. She was treated in six different mental health hospitals over a four-year period.

Mr Aitken recently spoke to Sky News around the second anniversary of Hannah’s death.

More on Mental Health

He said: “Autistic people seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of sort of poison and, you know, wanting to take their lives.”

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Pete Aitken speaking to Sky News

Sky News is not naming the poison, but Hannah was able to buy a kilogram of it online. Just one gram is potentially fatal.

“There’s this disparity between the concentration required for its legitimate use and that required for ending your life. And it seems quite clear you could make a distinction,” Mr Aitken said.

Analysis from the Molly Rose Foundation and the group Families and Survivors to Prevent Online Suicide Harms says at least 133 people have died because of the poison. It also says coroners have written warnings about the substance on 65 separate occasions.

The report accuses the Home Office of failing to strengthen the regulation of the poison and says not enough is being done to close dangerous suicide forums online.

Lawyers representing the group want a public inquiry into the deaths.

In a joint letter to the prime minister, the families said: “We write as families whose loved ones were let down by a state that was too slow to respond to the threat.

“This series of failings requires a statutory response, not just to understand why our loved ones died but also to prevent more lives being lost in a similar way.”

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The group’s lawyer, Merry Varney, from Leigh Day, said: “The government is rightly committed to preventing deaths through suicide, yet despite repeated warnings of the risks posed by an easily accessible substance, fatal in small quantities and essentially advertised on online forums, no meaningful steps have been taken.”

Hannah's dad is one of the family members to have signed the letter
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Hannah’s dad is one of the family members to have signed the letter

A government spokesperson said: “Suicide devastates families and we are unequivocal about the responsibilities online services have to keep people safe on their platforms.

“Under the Online Safety Act, services must take action to prevent users from accessing illegal suicide and self-harm content and ensure children are protected from harmful content that promotes it.

“If they fail to do so, they can expect to face robust enforcement, including substantial fines.”

They added that the position is “closely monitored and reportable under the Poisons Act, meaning retailers must alert authorities if they suspect it is being bought to cause harm”.

“We will continue to keep dangerous substances under review to ensure the right safeguards are in place,” they said.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

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