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Community raises nearly £12,000 for Southport store damaged in riot

Community raises nearly £12,000 for Southport store damaged in riot

A fundraiser for the Southport store damaged and looted during the unrest on Tuesday has raised nearly £12,000, nearing its target of £13,000.

Rose Tucker, who runs a beauty salon, started the crowdfunding page to support Chanaka Balasuryla, whose shop nearby has been ransacked by rioters.


“I own a salon on Sussex Road and although, miraculously, the salon isn’t damaged, our neighbours over at Windsor Mini Mart were targeted; broken in to and looted, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage which is not covered by their insurance. Rioters broke through their safety glass and have torn their shop apart. They are a small, family run business with two young children,” Tucker wrote on the GoFundMe page.

“We’re raising money to help get them back on their feet and the money raised will be used to restore the shop and support the family whilst they’re unable to work.”

Tucker added that the Balasuryla family has asked that any remaining funds are donated to the families of three children killed on Monday, Bebe King, aged six, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, aged nine, whose parents are Portuguese.

Balasuryla on Wednesday revealed that more than £10,000 worth of stock was stolen from his Windsor Mini Mart store.

Large disturbances broke out in Southport on Tuesday after false information was spread on social media that the suspect in the stabbings was a radical Islamist migrant, with anti-immigrant protesters descending on Southport town from elsewhere.

Police have said the attack was not terrorism-related and that the suspect was born in Britain, quashing speculation on his origins.

As well as the killing of three girls, Monday's attack in the normally quiet town left eight other children with stab wounds.

Axel Rudakubana, 17, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Thursday over Monday's incident.

He is charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and one of possession of a bladed article.

His case was later heard at Liverpool Crown Court, where he sat in the dock covering his face with a grey sweatshirt and did not speak to confirm his name.

Judge Andrew Menary did not impose reporting restrictions on Rudakubana's identity, which had not previously been reported as he is under 18. Rudakubana was remanded in custody ahead of a further hearing in October.

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