Hero dance teacher who tried to save children in Southport attack released from hospital

A dance teacher who was stabbed while trying to protect children in the Southport knife attack has been discharged from hospital after being re-admitted as her condition deteriorated.

Former primary school teacher Leanne Lucas, 35, was critically injured after a knifeman launched an attack, which left three girls dead at Taylor Swift - themed dance class on 29 July.

She and a colleague are said to have helped shield up to 16 innocent children from the onslaught at a dance studio in the Merseyside seaside town.

Ms Lucas has now been discharged from hospital after having been readmitted earlier this month due to breathing problems, her friends have said.

Posting on a Southport community Facebook page, her friend Ester, who has been sharing information on behalf of Ms Lucas’s family wrote: “Leanne has been discharged following further surgery and is now recovering with family and friends around her.

“Please continue to support Leanne by sharing her GoFundMe page far and wide and donating where possible. We have had so many lovely messages wishing her well, so many gifts and hand made crafts.

“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone for showing such kindness during this impossible difficult time.”

The news comes weeks after Ms Lucas’ condition appeared to deteriorate as she underwent further surgery.

On 15 August, an update shared to a GoFundMe page set up to support the instructor revealed she had developed an infection and was struggling with her breathing.

“Unfortunately this week Leanne was readmitted to hospital due to struggling with her breathing. She is waiting for an operation for another drain on her lung due to infection,” the update read. “Leanne had barely begun her road to recovery. Please keep her in your thoughts and continue supporting her as you have been by sharing the page & donating anything you can.”

More than £36,000 has been donated to the fundraisers through 1,500 donations so far.

Bebe King, six, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were stabbed to death at the class in July, while 10 others were injured.

Ms Lucas reportedly planned the two-hour dance and yoga session to coincide with the school holidays and taught the class alongside Heidi Barlow. Ms Barlow was also injured in the attack, but less seriously.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, has been charged with the murder of the three girls in Merseyside.

He is also charged with the attempted murder of yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes and eight children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as well as possession of a kitchen knife with a curved blade.

Soon after the attack, false claims of the suspect’s identity were spread online, with some posts speculating he was a Muslim migrant who had arrived in the UK by boat in 2023.

The misinformation helped spark far-right riots that engulfed the country. A total of 1,117 arrests and 677 charges have since been made in connection with the disorder.