The life of an “extraordinary girl” who was killed in the Southport knife attack has been remembered with balloons, bubbles and one of her favourite Taylor Swift songs at her funeral.
Ahead of the service for seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe on Friday, mourners – including the family dog Bobby – gathered outside St John’s Church in Birkdale to see the horse-drawn carriage, which travelled from the family home through streets decorated with pink ribbons.
Emergency service workers were among those attending, along with Ibrahim Hussein, imam of Southport mosque, which was damaged when violence broke out the day after Elsie’s death.
The service, referred to as Elsie’s Special Day, was the final funeral to be held for the victims of the attack at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class on Hart Street on July 29, in which Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, and Bebe King, six, also died.
Elsie’s coffin, topped with a blue cuddly toy, was carried up a pink carpet as members of her cheerleading squad, Vortex Cheer, formed a guard of honour, before going into the building through a balloon arch as bubbles were blown into the air.
The church was full to capacity with people wearing bright colours and florals, after Elsie’s family asked those attending not to wear black, and was decorated with pastel-coloured flowers and pink ribbons.
At the end of the service, the congregation was asked to remain in their seats as “one of Elsie’s favourite songs”, Taylor Swift’s Love Story, was performed while the coffin and close family left the church.
As the cortege passed floral tributes in Southport town centre after the service, hundreds gathered and applauded.
Welcoming the congregation to the church for the service, Reverend Jennie Hardy described Elsie as “a little girl who loved a big party”.
She added: “Her last birthday was an Elsie-fest and today we are continuing that theme.”
Celebrant Emily Ridgway, reading Elsie Dot by Mum and Dad, told the congregation: “Elsie absolutely will continue to make a difference to this world because of her pure and kind heart.
“She always did what made her happy and she would want you to continue her happiness in your hearts.
“The light she brought to your lives will never ever diminish, her sparkle will always shine.”
In a tribute, teacher Katie Sykes, from Farnborough Road School, said: “She made everybody smile just by being her.”
The school’s headteacher, Jennie Sephton, read the poem We Only Wanted You, and Revered Canon Anne Taylor, from St Peter’s Church in Formby, read I Am Not Really Gone.
Speaking on behalf of the emergency services, Deputy chief constable of Merseyside Police Chris Green said: “I am sure at a time of such great sorrow, the resolve and spirit of this community has provided a source of comfort and reassurance.
“Through the many acts of kindness and solidarity it is evident Southport is not just a place, it is your home and it will forever be Elsie’s home.”
As well as those gathered in the church, others watched the funeral on screens at the church hall and Liverpool Road Methodist Church.
Hundreds more gathered in late summer sunshine to pay their respects outside The Atkinson art gallery on Lord Street in the centre of Southport, where a vigil was held the day after the attack.
The square outside the gallery became a shrine of thousands of flowers left by well-wishers – festooned with pink balloons, candles, teddy bears and photos of the girls who lost their lives.
Both sides of Lord Street were lined with people of all ages, some children blowing bubbles, hugged by their parents and grandparents, stood in silence awaiting the funeral cortege.
As the cortege approached, the silence was broken by applause as the hearse slowly passed, followed by funeral cars carrying Elsie’s heartbroken family.
They were followed by nine red Royal Mail vans, a tribute to Elsie’s father David, a postman, each one with pink ribbons tied to the vehicle.
In a statement released earlier in the day, Elsie’s family said: “Elsie embraced life and it is with positivity, hope and love that we celebrate her life today on ‘Elsie’s Special Day’.
“Elsie spent every day just simply enjoying life with determination, persistence, love and kindness.
“Elsie was an amazing little girl. She had the ability to light up any room that she entered, she was truly unforgettable.”
Axel Rudakubana, 18, has been charged with the murders of Elsie, Alice and Bebe, as well as the attempted murder of instructor Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes, and eight children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and possession of a kitchen knife with a curved blade.