The parents of a seven-year-old girl killed in the Southport stabbings followed her tiny coffin in a horse-drawn carriage as hundreds of sobbing mourners gathered to say their final farewells.
Grieving locals, emergency services and members of little Elsie Dot Stancombe’s cheerleading troop lined the sides of the road as her carriage was led by horses adorned with rainbows.
Behind the procession, lines of grieving friends trooped in a procession, wearing bright colours that matched the pink ribbons tied to lampposts along the route. Elsie’s family had asked those attending not to wear black.
The tiny coffin, dressed in a light, multicoloured shroud, was carried into St John’s Church, in Birkdale, near Southport – the church where she was baptised – on the shoulders of four men.
This morning, Elsie’s family paid tribute to their ‘amazing and truly unforgettable’ daughter ahead of her funeral.
At her funeral today, her teachers and classmates spoke of a girl who made ‘everybody laugh’ and always had the ‘prettiest socks’.
The coffin was carried from the church by pallbearers wearing Taylor Swift bracelets, while the trembling voice of a lone singer recited Love Story – one of Elsie’s favourite songs.
The little girl died alongside Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, after an attacker went on the rampage at the Taylor Swift holiday club they were taking part in last month.
The parents of Elsie Dot Stancombe, David and Jenni, follow the horse-drawn hearse
Ahead of the service Mr and Mrs Stancombe released a new poignant black and white image of their family, describing themselves as the ‘the four best friends in the whole wide world.’ Pictured: Elsie with mother Jenni, father David and younger sister Rosie, aged three
Elsie’s parents supported each other as they left St John’s Church, in Birkdale, near Southport
Grieving locals, emergency services and sobbing members of little Elsie Dot Stancombe’s cheerleading troop lined the sides of the road as her carriage was led by horses adorned with rainbows
The tiny coffin, dressed in a light, multicoloured shroud, was carried into St John’s Church, in Birkdale, near Southport on the shoulders of four men
Elsie Dot Stancombe died alongside Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, after an attacker went on the rampage at the Taylor-Swift holiday club they were taking part in last month
The coffin of Southport stabbing victim Elsie Dot Stancombe is carried out of St John’s Church in Birkdale following her funeral
The coffin was carried from the church by pallbearers wearing Taylor Swift bracelets, while the trembling voice of a lone singer recited Love Story – one of Elsie’s favourite songs
Mourners walk behind the horse-drawn carriage carrying the coffin of Southport stabbing victim Elsie Dot Stancombe
The horse-drawn hearse arrives for a celebration of Elsie Dot Stancombe at St John’s Church
Hundreds of people are expected to line the streets near the church to pay their respects after the couple urged the community to come together on ‘Elsie’s Special Day.’ Pictured: The order of service
Two members of the emergency services embrace while waiting for the funeral of Southport stabbing victim Elsie Dot Stancombe
Today her parents, Jenni and David, youngster sister, Rosie, three, and extended family and friends are celebrating her life at the service.
The church was full to capacity for people to pay their respects to Elsie, who vicar Reverend Jennie Hardy described as an “extraordinary girl”. She said she was a “a little girl who loved a big party”.
Emily Ridgway, speaking on behalf of Elsie’s parents, told the service: ‘Her confidence grew and grew, she was turning into this wonderfully polite and kind little girl, a testament to her parents and all the other grown-ups in her life.
‘Her teachers at Farnborough Road were always full of praise for her ability to always try her best and she never once got cross if something wasn’t quite going the way she expected it to.
‘Her heart was too kind for anger and upset, she would find a way of working out a solution that would best support her and went from there.’
Speaking about Elsie and sister Rosie, Ms Ridgway told the service: ‘Elsie’s proudest moment came when she found out she was being given the title ‘big sister’. As any of us who are big sisters will know, it’s an incredibly privileged title to have and one that she was so excited for.
‘She absolutely adored her little sister Rosie, she doted on her, mothered her and loved her like no-one else could.
‘The three best friends became four best friends and family time together was so, so precious. Elsie and Rosie have grown up with their parents showing them how to truly live, how to embrace everything that life throws at you and to always, always be there for one another.’
Speaking directly to her parents, Ms Ridway said: ‘Your beautiful, perfect little girl made you her mummy and daddy and that can never be taken away. Elsie was a gift given to you and to her sister and she made your lives immeasurably joyful.
The coffin leaves the church following a celebration of Elsie Dot Stancombe at St John’s Church
The parents of Southport stabbing victim Elsie Dot Stancombe leave St John’s Church
The couple could be seen supporting each other a left the funeral of their child
The coffin of Southport stabbing victim Elsie Dot Stancombe arrives for her funeral at St John’s Church in Birkdale
The horse-drawn hearse waits outside during a celebration of Elsie Dot Stancombe at St John’s Church
The coffin is carried into church for a celebration of Elsie Dot Stancombe at St John’s Church
The coffin leaves the church following a celebration of Elsie Dot Stancombe
‘Her story doesn’t end here today, her story will be told every single day by those who love her. Her name, such a special name, will be said every single day. She will make you smile every day, just as she did when she was by your side.
‘Elsie absolutely will continue to make a difference to this world because of her pure, kind heart. She always did what made her happy and she would want you to continue her happiness in your hearts.
‘The light you brought to our lives will never diminish, your sparkle will always shine. Thank you, Elsie for being exactly who you were made to be.’
Speaking earlier in the service, Elsie’s former teacher, Katie Sykes, who taught her at Farnborough Road School, in Birkdale, spoke to remember the ‘sassy’ girl who loved sparkly nail varnish, brought in her glittery heels for show and tell and proudly cuddled her dad when he came to deliver the school post.
In a touching tribute, her father’s colleagues later made a procession of Post Office vans as they followed her hearse through Southport.
Ms Sykes said: ‘She made everybody smile just by being her.’ She added: ‘She truly was one of a kind.’
With her voice cracking, she read out tributes from her school friends, she remembered a girl who was a great cheerleader, always making her mates laugh and who had the ‘prettiest socks and the shiniest shoes in the whole class’.
Ms Sykes said Elsie had an ability to make her laugh and was an ‘encyclopaedia of knowledge.’
‘Farnborough Road will never be the same again,’ she added.
Roses are thrown at the hearse carrying the coffin of Southport stabbing victim Elsie Dot Stancombe
In a touching tribute, her father’s colleagues later made a procession of Post Office vans as they followed her hearse through Southport
The guard of honour by the humble red vans stretched out behind the little girl’s hearse
The crowd blows bubbles as it waits for the hearse carrying little Elsie from the church
People watch the funeral cortege of the seven-year-old girl Elsie Dot Stancombe, killed in the Southport stabbing attacks
The parents of Elsie Dot Stancombe, David and Jenni, follow the horse-drawn hearse as they arrive for a celebration of Elsie at St John’s Church
Another teacher at the school, Jennie Sephton, held back tears as he read a poem ‘We only wanted you’. The poem reads: ‘If love alone could have saved you, you never would have died. In life we loved you dearly, in death we love you still.’
Chris Greene, Deputy Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, also spoke to Elsie’s parents during the service.
He told them: ‘You have shown that Southport is not just a place, it’s your home and will forever Elsie’s home. You and your extended family are not alone. Elsie, Alice and Bebe will forever be in our hearts.’
Hundreds of people lined the streets near the church to pay their respects after the couple urged the community to come together on ‘Elsie’s Special Day.’
As the service came to an end, mourners joined together – and even did the actions for – ‘Be Bold, Be Strong’ – a song she would have enjoyed in her school assemblies.
As the funeral ended, with a trembling voice a solo singer, guitarist and piano recited Taylor Swift’s Love Story.
Her brave family wiped tears from their eyes as they left the church to one of their little girl’s favourite songs, following behind her tiny coffin.
The singer, who reacted after the girls were killed while dancing to her songs, has previously told of how she is at a ‘complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families’. She said: ‘these were just little kids’.
Today Elsie’s parents, Jenni and David, youngster sister, Rosie, three, and extended family and friends will ‘celebrate her life’ at a service at St John’s Church, in Birkdale, near Southport
Behind the procession, lines of grieving friends trooped in a procession, wearing light colours that matched the pink ribbons tied to lampposts along the route
Members of the emergency services and the public line the streets for the funeral of Southport stabbing victim Elsie Dot Stancombe
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.
As the cortege walked down St John’s Road, Dancing in the Sky rang out across the close-knit town.
Members of Elsie’s cheerleading group, Vortex Cheer, formed a guard of honour as the coffin, topped with a blue cuddly toy, was carried into the church, down a pink carpet and through a balloon arch, with bubbles in the air.
A singer performs outside the church ahead of the funeral of the seven-year-old girl Elsie Dot Stancombe
Mourners gather for a celebration of Elsie Dot Stancombe at St John’s Church
Members of the emergency services and the public line the streets for the funeral of Southport stabbing victim Elsie Dot Stancombe
Photo of Elsie Dot Stancombe among the flowers and tributes outside the Atkinson Art Centre Southport
A pink carpet was rolled out in front of the church to welcome mourners, as they celebrated the little girl’s life.
People wearing bright and pastel colours and florals gathered outside the church, where songs including Fleetwood Mac’s Songbird were performed by singer Wendy Chalke as they waited for the cortege to arrive.
Among the mourners were members of the emergency services and Ibrahim Hussein, imam of Southport mosque – which was damaged in disorder the night after Elsie’s death.
The family dog, Bobby, was also outside the church to see the procession arrive.
Inside, the church was decorated with pastel-coloured flowers, pink ribbons and a screen with an illustration of a dancer which welcomed those attending to ‘Elsie’s Special Day’.
The Lighthouse Choir performed From Now On, from The Greatest Showman, and Wind Beneath My Wings, which was played on speakers outside the church as people entered.
Ahead of the service Mr and Mrs Stancombe released a new poignant black and white image of their family, describing themselves as the ‘the four best friends in the whole wide world.’
They added that Elsie would be ‘forever in our hearts.’
‘Elsie spent every day just simply enjoying life with determination, persistence, love and kindness,’ they said.
Flowers and tributes outside the Atkinson Art Centre Southport for the three girls that died in a knife attack at a dance class in Southport
Mourners line the streets of Southport this morning as they wait for a celebration of Elsie Dot Stancombe
‘Elsie was an amazing little girl. She had the ability to light up any room that she entered, she was truly unforgettable.’
The couple, who are understood to have met Elsie’s pop hero Taylor Swift at Wembley this week, said their daughter was a ‘devoted Swiftie’ who loved to dance.
They said she ‘gave every activity a go’ but her real passion was cheerleading, adding: ‘Her weekly classes couldn’t come around quick enough.
‘Her persistence was admirable, from completing a 3k run and 10k charity walk for her local hospice, as well as moving up book bands in school, everything she did she gave 100 per cent and would never give up.
‘Our family affirmation is, ‘as long as you try your best, enjoy yourself and have fun, nothing else matters. We are the four best friends in the whole wide world,’ – that mantra will remain with us for the rest of our lives, sound in the knowledge that Elsie is here with us and forever will be in our hearts.’
Elsie’s family will walk behind her cortege from her home to the church, where a pink carpet has been laid for the occasion.
Royal Mail staff will also pay tribute when the cortege passes as Mr Stancombe is a postal worker.
Liverpool Lighthouse choir will perform at the service, while a singer and pianist will also play some of Elsie’s favourite songs, including by Taylor Swift.
Members of the public line the streets for the funeral of Southport stabbing victim Elsie Dot Stancombe at St John’s Church in Birkdale
Elsie’s family will walk behind her cortege from her home to the church, where a pink carpet has been laid for the occasion. Pictured: St John’s Church in Birkdale
She was killed alongside six-year-old Bebe King (left) and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar (right)
Elsie’s family also thanked the Southport community for their support since her death, on July 29.
‘Elsie has brought light, love and joy to so many lives and it has been clear to us in the overwhelming response from everybody that knew her and everybody within the community,’ they added.
‘We will always be grateful for the love and support we have had over these past weeks and we are and will continue to be proud to live in Southport.
‘To that end, Elsie’s legacy will continue and as a family we will ensure that her impact and legacy endures with positivity and hope and with Elsie by our side forever and always.’
Reverend Jennie Hardy, who will preside over the church service, told BBC Radio Merseyside that Elsie’s parents had described her as an ‘extraordinary little girl’.
Ms Hardy said they had told her she was ‘very kind-natured’ and ‘would look after other people’.
She added: ‘She loved chatting, she loved having fun. She loved a party and a celebration.
‘She was unusual in some ways that she could really connect and converse with adults along with children.
Royal Mail staff will also pay tribute when the cortege passes as Mr Stancombe is a postal worker. Pictured: St John’s Church in Birkdale
The King travelled from Scotland to Southport earlier this week to meet with affected children and their families. He is pictured visiting the floral tributes to the victims on Tuesday
King Charles appeared moved by the huge number of floral tributes left in Southport
‘She was wise beyond her years; emotionally intelligent and just an absolute joy to be around.’
The service will be live-screened at St John’s Church Hall and Liverpool Road Methodist Church in Birkdale.
Elsie’s family will go on to a private service in Burscough.
A vigil is also planned at The Atkinson arts centre in Lord Street in Southport later.
Eight other children and two adults were seriously injured during the knife attack.
On Wednesday the parents of Elsie, Bebe and Alice had a private meeting with King Charles following his visit to the town a day earlier.
The Monarch examined the sea of floral tributes, teddy bears and balloons outside Southport Town Hall, before meeting survivors and emergency service workers who responded to the attack. He also signed a book of condolence.
Charles previously said he had been ‘profoundly shocked’ to hear of the ‘utter horrific incident’ and sent his ‘prayers’ to those affected.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, has been charged with three counts of murder and 10 of attempted murder, plus possession of a knife, and is due to stand trial next year.