A teenager has been charged with the murder of a 12-year-old girl in Liverpool, police said.
Ava White was out with friends on Thursday after a Christmas lights switch-on when she suffered “catastrophic injuries”.
The public and paramedics fought to save the Year Eight pupil’s life but she died a short time later at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, in a killing which has rocked the city.
A 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with murder and possession of a bladed article. Merseyside Police said he had been remanded in custody to appear at a court on today.
Three other boys aged between 13 and 15, who were also arrested, have been conditionally bailed as inquiries continue.
Police said that a verbal argument had broken out between children and it had rapidly escalated into violence, with unconfirmed reports that Ava had been stabbed in the neck.
On Friday floral tributes were still being left in the city centre while a large cordon remained in place along Church Alley, School Lane and Fleet Street where the suspects are thought to have fled on foot. Notre Dame Catholic College in Liverpool paid tribute to Ava, their former pupil, as a “much loved, valued and unique member” of the school’s family.
Members of the public with information are urged to contact Merseyside Police Contact Centre on Facebook quoting reference 21000820789, call 101 or reach the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
