Hero officers who confronted Southport killer honoured for bravery

Three police officers who confronted Southport knife attacker Axel Rudakubana during his killing spree have been honoured for their bravery.

Sergeant Gregory Gillespie, Constable Luke Holden and police community support officer (PCSO) Timothy Parry were the first officers to arrive on the scene at the Taylor Swift-themed workshop on July 29 last year.

Rudakubana, 18, who murdered Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; Bebe King, six; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven; and injured 10 others, including eight children, was confronted by the officers as he stood at the top of a flight of stairs holding a large knife.

The Merseyside Police officers were the “overall winners” of the Police Federation of England and Wales’ (PFEW) 2025 bravery awards held on Thursday.

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The PFEW said Sgt Gillespie was the first to arrive at Hart Street in Southport and described seeing “chaos”, with “extremely panicked” people in the street.

He directed paramedics to a seriously injured child before being joined by Pc Holden and PCSO Parry.

They witnessed members of the public running away from the dance studio carrying young children.

Armed with a baton and a Taser, Sgt Gillespie and Pc Holden entered the building while PCSO Parry covered the exit.

They found Rudakubana, then aged 17, holding a large knife at the top of the stairs and approached while shouting at him to drop the knife. PCSO Parry also ran in to assist.

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Rudakubana, who was jailed for a minimum of 52 years in January, dropped the weapon and was handcuffed and arrested after the trio struck with a baton and kicked the teenager to get him under control.

PFEW national chairwoman Tiff Lynch said of all the winners: “Whether confronting violent attackers, rescuing individuals from life-threatening situations, or making split-second decisions under immense pressure, these officers have shown exceptional courage and selflessness”.

A public inquiry into the attack began on Tuesday to identify changes that urgently need to be made to protect the most vulnerable from other “horrors”, the chairman said.

Chairman Sir Adrian Fulford opened the inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall into what he described as “one of the most egregious crimes in our country’s history”.

In his opening statement, Sir Adrian said: “As a society we are not helpless when confronted with individuals who are known to be contemplating acts of such depravity and although no solution will be foolproof, we can identify all of the robust steps which should be taken to protect ourselves, and particularly the most vulnerable, from horrors of this kind.

“And this must be undertaken at speed, to provide answers for the victims and their families and to identify all of the changes that urgently need to be made.”