Axel Rudakubana's 'devastated' family forced to flee Southport as they're now in hiding

The Community Church in Southport says the family of Axel Rudakubana, who admitted killing three little girls at a dance party, have been moved into hiding by police for their own protection

The family of Southport monster Axel Rudakubana are "devastated" by his horrific knife attack and have been forced to move to a "secret location", according to their church leader.

The 18-year-old who admitted killing three little girls at a dance party in July is said to have had a "kill list" of students he wanted to murder at his old school, it has emerged. Parents of former students at Range High School claimed the teenage killer was well known by all year groups before he was eventually expelled at 13 for attacking a student with a hockey stick and taking a knife onto the premises.

On another occasion before he was excluded Rudakubana was caught on video trying to attack a teacher while three students held him back at the school in Formby, Merseyside. In a statement today leaders of The Community Church in Southport, attended by Rudakubana’s father Alphonse, said the family had been moved to a secret location for their protection.

Church leaders Dave Gregg, Geoff Grice, Harry Pickett and Mike Rothwell, said: “The Rudakubana family have been devastated following this terrible incident and they have been moved by the police, for their protection, from their home in Banks to a secret location that we are unaware of. As a church we continue to pray for peace and healing for all those impacted by the tragic events that took place in Southport and in our nation beyond."

The church leaders added while Alphonse had been a "valued" part of its community, but said his "son and family never attended our Sunday gatherings, nor played any active part in church life". The leaders said the church was releasing the statement to prevent unnecessary intrusion into other churches in the town.

As terrifying details of Rudakubana's fascination with extreme violence emerged, it is feared he had been planning a massacre at his former school just a week before he attacked the Taylor Swift dance class with a kitchen blade. Neighbours revealed he had ordered a taxi to the school, 15 miles from his home in Banks, Lancashire, on July 22. His father ran out and pleaded with the driver not to take him.

A witness said: "There was a confrontation and Rudakubana was persuaded to leave the vehicle." It is understood he was carrying a knife, though there is no suggestion his father knew this, or what he is believed to have been planning at the school.

The teenage killer was wearing a green hooded sweatshirt and surgical mask - the same clothing he wore when he headed to the Hart Space in Southport a week later. Dylan Pemberton, whose daughter was three school years above Rudakubana at Range High School told how all the students were aware of him.

Mr Pemberton told Sky News: "I asked her, 'Did you know the kid?' And she was like 'Yeah, he was well known... He had tried to attack someone with a hockey stick outside my maths class'. It was known to her and her peer group that he had a kill list." He added: "It sounds like it was a tragedy waiting to happen."

Rudakubana was then said to be under the care of two specialist schools after the series of disturbing incidents, but his attendance at these schools was allegedly less than one percent. After months of refusing to speak, Rudakubana finally pleaded guilty to murdering Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice Da Silva Aguiar, nine, as his five-week trial was set to begin on Monday.

He also pleaded guilty to attempting to murder 10 others including the dance teacher Leanne Lucas and eight other children, as well as the production of deadly toxin ricin, which was discovered in his bedroom. Friends of the victims yesterday refused to call the killer by his name, claiming he had thrived on the attention.

Hightown Junior Football League, ran by a pal of Elsie's dad, wrote on X: "What has been abundantly clear throughout is that this evil person has thrived from the notoriety and attention he has gained throughout this process. I will therefore not give him the satisfaction of even using his name.

“The biggest punishment for him would be knowing that he has faded into insignificance, whilst the world is united remembering the three beautiful girls who are a perfect representation of a society we should all strive to live in."