Hundreds of far-right protesters have clashed with police in Southport - hours after the heartbroken town held a vigil for those killed and injured in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed children’s dance and yoga class. Merseyside Police have confirmed that 22 officers were injured in last night’s violence, eight of them seriously.

The riot began when several hundred people began targeting a Southport mosque. Social media videos showed a group of men setting fire to vehicles and wheelie bins and attacking a local shop. Bottles and bricks were thrown at police, who linked the rioters to members of the English Defence League. The group have previously staged violent demonstrations against Islam. Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss said in the statement: “Merseyside Police has faced serious violence in Southport.” Adding that officers had “displayed … courage whilst under constant and sustained attack.”

Police have arrested a teenager for murder and attempted murder over the stabbings, saying the suspect was born in the Welsh city of Cardiff and lived in a village near Southport.“There has been much speculation and hypothesis around the status of a 17-year-old male who is currently in police custody and some individuals are using this to bring violence and disorder to our streets,” Goss said. “We have already said that the person arrested was born in the UK and speculation helps nobody at this time.”

The three girls who died in the attack have been named as six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar, whose parents are Portuguese. “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,” Aguiar’s family said in a statement. Writing on Instagram, singer Taylor Swift said she was “completely in shock” over “the loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone”.