Crowds pay final respects to Alice da Silva Aguiar in Southport

Hundreds of people have paid their respects to one of the three girls killed in the Southport attacks.

Alice da Silva Aguiar, aged nine, died from her injuries in hospital a day after a knifeman attacked children attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on 29 July.

Bebe King, aged six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, also died in the attack, where eight other girls and two adults were injured.

About 300 people gathered near the church, some held balloons and others released bubbles before a round of applause broke out as the cortege arrived.

Pink ribbons and balloons were tied to lampposts and garden walls.

Outside the packed church, many mourners listened as the service was broadcast through speakers.

Alice’s parents Sergio and Alexandra were joined by family and friends at St Patrick’s Catholic Church.

There was an area of the church set aside for the emergency services who worked with the family, while a second area was set aside for other families affected by the attacks, as well as classmates, friends and family.

The BBC understands wider family were watching the service via video-link in Portugal.

One speaker during the service was Alice’s head teacher, Jinnie Payne, of Churchtown Primary School.

She described Alice as a “curious girl” who “never forgot the details”.

Ms Payne said one of her teachers had named her baby after Alice, news that appeared to deeply affect her mother.

Among those paying their respects were Serena Kennedy, Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, along with about 30 uniformed police officers and representatives from the ambulance and fire services.

In an earlier tribute, Alice’s parents said: “Keep smiling and dancing like you love to do our Princess, like we said before to you, you’re always our princess and no one would change that.”

The family, who is Portuguese, attended a celebration of her life on Tuesday, which is traditional in Portugal one week after a person has died.

Father John Heneghan, who lead the funeral service, previously told BBC Radio Merseyside that his abiding memory of Alice was of a “wonderfully happy girl” who brought “joy to her mum and dad”.

He said the town’s residents were “very bruised and would be for a long time” following the attack, adding that many were “horrified” by how the stabbings had been used as an excuse to spark disorder across the UK.