‘I hid in toilet with child as killer banged on door’

A dance teacher who hid with a child in a toilet as the Southport knife killer banged on the door has told the inquiry into the murders how she felt “crushing” guilt.

Heidi Liddle sobbed as she gave evidence to the Liverpool Town Hall hearing earlier.

The mother-of-two said she had been returning to work from maternity leave when she was asked to be a guest teacher at the Taylor Swift-themed workshop in the Merseyside town where the attack unfolded last July.

Speaking publicly for the first time, she said: “I feel responsible. I tried so hard to usher as many children out as possible, to get them away from him.”

Alice Aguiar, nine, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and six-year-old Bebe King were killed in the attack while eight other children and two adults were seriously wounded.

Ms Liddle said she was making bracelets with children in the room and was “filled with joy and happiness” when the attacker entered.

It then “all changed dramatically and devastatingly within seconds”, she said.

She said she suddenly saw her friend and colleague, yoga teacher Leanne Lucas, who also gave evidence at the inquiry, being brutally attacked.

“There was no time to think but to just run and usher as many children away from danger as possible,” Ms Liddle said.

“The children were running towards the stairwell, when I noticed one of the girls run in the opposite direction towards the toilet.

“I saw a flash of green and I pushed her inside and locked the door, reassuring her and telling her to be quiet.

“Whilst in the toilet, the perpetrator was banging and rattling the door, attempting to get in, only stopping when the police arrived.

“The girls’ screaming and fearing for our lives haunts me to this day.”

Ms Liddle said her “instinct” was to protect the girls, but continued: “A part of me always questions if we could have done anything differently in those moments of terror.

“Although people have told me this incident is not my fault, the guilt I bear is crushing.

“I constantly replay what happened over and over in my mind, what I was able to do, what else could I have done, the what ifs.”

Ms Liddle told the inquiry she had daily flashbacks and struggled with ordinary tasks following the attack.

“I’m grieving for the girls and their families, the girls that were there that day, Leanne, police, responders, neighbours who opened their homes, the wider community but I’m also grieving for the old version of myself and my life,” she said.

“I cannot remember myself or my life before this. All I can remember is this current version of things – constantly re-living the events of the day, dealing with the overwhelming emotions and fears connected.”

She added: “My hope is that this inquiry will ensure that no one – neither adults or innocent children – ever have to go through the life-changing devastation that this evil individual was able to inflict on us that day.”

Ms Lucas was also emotional as she gave her impact statement.

She said she called 999 amid the “bedlam” and “chaos” as she and Ms Liddle tried to push terrified children out of harm’s way.

“Not knowing where each child was in those moments is a fear that will live with me forever,” she said.

“My physical wounds have healed but the psychological scars remain raw.

“The online abuse has been relentless. Instead of being surrounded by the supportive community I expected, I have often felt exposed, criticised and unsafe, even in my own home.

“To some I am called a hero, to others a villain. The truth is, I am neither. I am just Leanne, the woman who did her best in an unthinkable situation.

“That day, faced with an impossible situation, survival instincts guided my split-second decisions.

“My parents wish for you to hear this: one person chose to do this, one person, and one person alone.

“I want the inquiry to understand that the harm didn’t end when the attack ended.

“My hope is that no-one else will ever have to live with this kind of lasting impact.”

The inquiry’s first phase is examining the killer’s history and his dealings with relevant agencies, along with any missed opportunities to prevent what happened.

The hearing was adjourned until Thursday.

Additional reporting by the Press Association