Southport attack would have been 'severely worse' if door was locked

The Southport attack would have been 'severely worse' if the doors to the dance studio were locked, a yoga teacher has told the public inquiry.

Leanne Lucas, who was injured during the attack, was due to give evidence at the Southport Inquiry on Monday, but Liverpool Town Hall heard she was 'not fit'. and a summary of her evidence was read instead.

A summary of her evidence was read from her statement instead, in which she said more people would have died as Axel Rudakubana would have gained access anyway and potentially blocked the exit.

Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were killed by Rudakubana, referred to in the inquiry as AR, when he entered the Taylor Swift-themed dance class at The Hart Space studio on July 29 last year.

In her statement, Ms Lucas said locking the doors to the studio, on the first floor of a building used by other businesses, would have been a breach of fire safety regulations.