Two teenagers arrested over separate ‘Southport copycat’ cases targeting dance schools

Two boys, aged 16 and 17, have been prosecuted with various offences but not with preparing terrorist acts because their plans were not considered ‘ideological’.

The first case involves a boy, 17, from South Wales who had discussed copying southport killer Axel Rudakubana and researched obtaining large knives.

Police reportedly found a phone note titled ‘places to attack’ that had images of a dance school near the boy’s home.

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He also told others on Snapchat that he planned to target the Oasis reunion concert in Cardiff on July 4.

He admitted possessing a document useful for terrorism — the same offence for which Rudakubana previously received an 18-month sentence — and is due to be sentenced in January. The case has been adjourned for psychiatric reports.

In another case, a boy, 16, from Merseyside allegedly planned to attack a Taylor Swift-themed event while wearing a green hoodie, mirroring Rudakubana.

Prosecutors say he travelled to Southport, collected knives, researched a Swift-themed event and downloaded the same al-Qaeda manual Rudakubana used to produce ricin.

He was arrested in August and charged with possessing documents useful for terrorism and making threats to kill. He is due to enter pleas next month.

Assistant chief constable Mark Winstanley of Lancashire police told the Southport inquiry: “Sadly, there are other children out there with similar interests and behaviours” to Rudakubana.

Rudakubana was 17 when he murdered Bebe King, six, Elsie Stancombe, seven, and Alice Aguiar, nine, in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29 last year