FRIENDS and relatives gathered on Friday (23) for the funeral of seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, one of three young girls killed in a stabbing in northwest England, an event that ignited riots across the country.
Elsie’s coffin, draped in a pastel-coloured pall with a blue stuffed toy placed on top, was carried down a pink carpet as mourners lined the streets outside the church in the seaside town of Southport.
Friends and family dressed in colourful pastel and floral attire, honouring the family's wish to celebrate what they called "Elsie's Special Day."
"Elsie spent every day just simply enjoying life with determination, persistence, love and kindness," the family said in a statement ahead of the funeral.
Elsie was killed alongside Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, and Bebe King, six, in a stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed summer dance class on July 29, which also left 10 other people, eight of them children, injured.
Members of Elsie's cheerleading group stood at the entrance of the church, wiping away tears as the coffin went past them.
In a tribute during the service, teacher Katie Sykes said Elsie had the ability to light up any room she entered, according to PA news agency.
"She made everybody smile just by being her," she added.
King Charles III visited Southport on Tuesday (20) for the first time since the tragedy shook the country on July 29, meeting survivors and their families.
He also met with the three bereaved families in London on Wednesday (21).
Unrest and riots erupted in more than a dozen English towns and cities in the week that followed the events in Southport, with authorities blaming misinformation over the identity of the alleged attacker.
Axel Rudakubana, who was aged 17 at the time, has been charged with murder and attempted murder over the stabbing spree. (AFP)
Mark Easton
And , Sue Baker OBE
