A 17-year-old charged with the murders of three girls killed in the knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport has been named as Axel Rudakubana after a judge lifted reporting restrictions.

He appeared at a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday where the Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC made the ruling.

The teenager could previously not be named because of his age but would have lost anonymity when he turns 18 next Wednesday.

Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were fatally stabbed on Monday when a knifeman entered the dance class on Hart Street in Southport, Merseyside.

Eight other children suffered knife wounds – with five of them left in a critical condition – while two adults were also critically hurt.

Rudakubana was charged with the attempted murder of two adults, yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes, as well as the attempted murder of the eight children who cannot be named for legal reasons.

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He is also charged with possession of a bladed article, a curved kitchen knife, the court heard.

Earlier on Thursday the teenager, from Banks in Lancashire, appeared in the dock at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court for a preliminary hearing.