Ex-detective marks 'truly dark day for Britain' as 'catastrophic' Southport Inquiry findings are released

The inquiry investigated the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven at a Taylor Swift themed dance class on July 29 2024 in Southport.

Detailing his findings today, Sir Adrian said that "far too often" the case was "passed from one public sector agency to another in an inappropriate merry-go-round of referrals, assessments, case-closures and 'hand-offs'."

He concluded: "This culture has to end. This failure lies at the heart of why AR was able to mount the attack, despite so many warning signs for his capacity for fatal violence."

GB News has chosen not to name the killer at the request of the victims' families.

Delivering his verdict on the inquiry's findings, Mr Bleksley told GB News that the triple murder "should not have happened".

He said: "It is a truly dark day for Britain. It's that seismic, it's that important, and it's that catastrophic. This should not have happened.

"Having been on the front line with police officers, seeing them working with other agencies and within our public services because of pressures of work, because of prevailing cultures within them, there is a failure to grip a situation."

He added: "It is far easier to put a sticking plaster over a gaping wound than to actually grip any situation that they are confronted with and deal with it properly, to deal with matters properly within the public services."

Suggesting there is a "sore lack" of professionalism within the services that could have prevented the horrific crime, the ex-detective argued: "It takes time, effort, thoroughness, attention to detail and professionalism, and these seem to have been sorely lacking that a child in possession of a knife who speaks of intent to injure people, is not arrested by the police is absolutely staggering.

"To have gone down a road whereby a child who has the desire and the ability to kill, has his care put in front of the risk that he poses is totally skewed."

Highlighting the ongoing inquiry in Nottingham, investigating the failures which led to the triple murder carried out by Valdo Calocane, Mr Bleksley stressed that the public services are failing to "grip" such situations up and down the country.

He told GB News: "We have another inquiry ongoing in Nottingham into the actions of another monster, Valdo Calocane, who snuffed out three wonderful lives and injured so many others. There is a failure here.

"Once again, I make no apology for using this word, to grip a situation. If you're a police officer, grip it and investigate it thoroughly and properly.

"Put aside pressures to get to the next call - deal with what is in front of you properly.

"Same with people in education, same with people in the health service, same with people in social services.

"Deal with the matter properly, share the information correctly. Don't downplay the importance of something for expedience, do it properly.

"Grip is the word that needs to be running through our public services. Grip it, own it, deal with it properly."

In a statement published shortly after the inquiry's release, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "The brutal, senseless murders of Bebe, Elsie and Alice marked one of the darkest moments in our country’s history.

"The report today is truly harrowing and profoundly disturbing. It sets out systematic failures that led to this terrible event.

"I’ve been overwhelmed by the bravery and determination of their families and while nothing will ever bring these three little girls back, I’m determined to make the fundamental changes needed to keep the public safe.

"I will do everything I can to honour the memory of Bebe, Elsie, and Alice."