I had to sleep on the sofa armed with hammers to protect my home

Families living on the estate where the man accused of stabbing three girls to death in Southport lived said they feared for their lives after misinformation about them was shared online. Just hours on from the attack on Monday, July 29, that took the lives of three innocent schoolgirls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Old School Close, in the west Lancashire village of Banks, became the scene of a major police investigation.

Axel Rudakubana, now 18, of Old School Close, was charged with the murders of Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice Da Silva Aguiar and eight counts of attempted murder in the days following the attack.

More than a month on, residents of the close have spoken out about how they continue to face ongoing threats online. A blue tent remains on the drive of the home, with police guarding the property 24 hours a day, but residents continue to feel unsafe following threats both online and in person in the aftermath of the devastating attack at the Hart Space pregnancy and children's centre in Southport.

READ MORE: Taxi driver stamped on annoying customer and broke his leg

READ MORE: EncroChat dealer 'Tinbrow' had 'leading role' in 175kg drug plot

One neighbour, who asked not to be named and will be referred to as Claire, told the ECHO police officers at the scene of the cordon had informed them there would be 72 hours notice ahead of the cordon being removed, after she said a man on a motorbike threatened to "petrol bomb" homes on the street. A number of anonymous online accounts posted misinformation about the residents of the houses.

She said no notice was given and the cordon was removed on Thursday, August 22. One post on X, seen by the ECHO wrongfully claimed there was a property on the street that "housed illegal immigrants", with a photo of the street.

Far-right misinformation about the identity of the alleged attacker proliferated in the days following the stabbing, and is widely believed to have contributed to serious violent disorder which spread across the country.

The same tweet was later quote tweeted on X by an account which said "shoot them all". Another resident, who will be referred to as Steven and has kept records of several tweets about Old School Close, claims to have reported it to police but said he was yet to hear anything back since an initial crime reference number was given to him. When asked by the ECHO, Lancashire Police declined to respond directly to the logged complaint from the resident but explained how the force continues to work with residents and partners for a plan when the scene is fully lifted.

Gavin Alexander, who lives at a house on Old School Close which was wrongly named on X as Axel Rudakubana’s address, told the ECHO how he moved his children to his parents' home in Merseyside before sleeping on the couch with hammers for two weeks after the misinformation was shared. One tweet, seen by the ECHO, had 16,000 views at the time of writing wrongly naming their address as being that of the 18-year-old charged with murder and attempted murder.

The 42-year-old dad-of-two said: “It was all saying I was housing illegal immigrants. The kids had to go, they’ve come back now but we are in the process of moving.

“The house was supposed to go on the market the Tuesday after it happened but that didn’t happen. I was sleeping downstairs for two weeks with two hammers by my side. We were scared. Every time I walk down the street I’m stressed.”

Gavin’s wife and mum to their two teenage children, who asked to remain anonymous, added: “We were promised 72 hours' notice we would have before that cordon came down at the top of the close and it just disappeared."

Steven said police had claimed to have knocked on residents' doors, but said his motion-sensor doorbell would "100%" prove this did not happen.

Claire said: “We had to undergo an arson assessment because we’re high risk and we’ve had threats on social media and we’ve had a lad on a motorbike ride past shouting ‘all yous are getting petrol bombed’.

“We’ve had everything put in place in the house, we’ve had extra smoke alarms, we’ve had the arson cover on the letter box, we’ve had the wheelie bins moved to the side of the house with chains put on them, we’re red flagged if we phone 999. All that but it doesn’t make me feel any safer living in my house."

Claire said the road was now "like a circus again" after the cordon's removal, as internet ghouls visit the street. She said: "People keep coming down here, turning their cars around, taking photos and leaving. We had a man walk his dog, he only came down to walk his dog and look at the crime scene.”

In a statement to the Liverpool ECHO, Merseyside Police confirmed officers had removed a number of items from the property as well as the garden being searched as part of the murder investigation. A spokesperson for the force said: "We can confirm that specialist officers have completed an extensive search at the address on Old School Close, Banks Lancashire, following the murders of three children in Southport on Monday, 29 July.

"A number of items have been removed from the property as part of the ongoing investigation and the garden was searched as part of the operation. The cordon was reduced to the exterior of the single property on 22 August, and Lancashire Police are still supporting Merseyside Police at the address to provide ongoing reassurance to the local community."

When asked about neighbours' concerns over Lancashire Police's protection of them in the aftermath of the attack in Southport and continued misinformation shared online, Supt Gary Crowe, Ops Manager for Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire, said: "We are very aware of the disruption to the residents on Old School Close whilst Merseyside Police have been conducting their investigation and search following the appalling incident in Southport on Monday 29 July.

"I understand they will be concerned and have deployed neighbourhood officers daily to speak to, and reassure, residents of the Close since then. We have been providing a daily presence at the scene since the cordon was in place. We totally understand that residents may be anxious, and we are working with them, and other partners, to ensure there is a support plan in place for when the scene is lifted.

"I would also like to thank the residents for their support and kindness they have shown to our officers whilst they have been going about their duties. It is truly appreciated. If anyone has concerns that they have not yet raised with us directly, then I urge them to do so through the officers who are there each day."