A funeral will be held today for Bebe King, the youngest of the three girls killed in the tragic Southport knife attack.

The six-year-old died along with Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, in an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on 29 July. Ten others were left seriously injured.

Bebe’s family will hold a private funeral for family and close friends in Southport from 11am today. Wellwishers and people not attending are encouraged to light a candle in her memory.

Her parents Lauren and Ben previously described their “precious daughter” as a “sweet, kind, and spirited girl”.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Bebe’s older sister Genie, nine, witnessed the attack and managed to escape.

In an emotional statement paying tribute to their daughter last weekend, Ben and Lauren spoke of how their “world was shattered by the loss of our precious daughter”.

They called the knife attack an “unimaginable act of violence that has left our hearts broken beyond repair”.

Ben and Lauren continued: “Our beloved Bebe, only six years old, was full of joy, light, and love, and she will always remain in our hearts as the sweet, kind, and spirited girl we adore.”

They also thanked the local community for their “outpouring of love and support,” and paying tribute to the response from “Southport, the whole of Liverpool, and even further afield”.

The statement ended: “Our hearts are broken, but we find some comfort in knowing that Bebe was so deeply loved by all who knew her. She will forever be our shimmering star, and we will carry her with us in everything we do.”

The funeral of Alice da Silva Aguiar took place in Southport last Sunday. Hundreds of people lined the town’s streets along with around 30 uniformed police officers and Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy.

Suspect Axel Rudakubana, 18, from Lancashire, has been charged with murdering the three children and 10 counts of attempted murder.