A touching photo has been released showing one of the young victims, Alice da Silva Aguiar, at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport, shortly before the tragic stabbing that took her life.

The image of Alice, seen next to a cardboard cutout of pop icon Taylor Swift at the Hart Space community centre on Monday morning, July 29, was shared by her grieving parents Sergio and Alexandra as they laid their 9-year-old daughter to rest today amidst much community support.

The poignant image was taken as hundreds gathered for the memorial service at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Southport, where Alice was remembered along with two other young victims, 6-year-old Bebe King and 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe. The community is also healing the wounds after eight other people were injured in the attack but have thankfully been released from hospital.

The streets of Southport were filled with mourners dressed in white and pastel colours in honour of Alice. Among those in attendance were paramedics who responded to the incident and 30 uniformed police officers led by Merseyside Police Commissioner Serene Kennedy.

Father John Heneghan, who led the service, spoke warmly of Alice as “one of our most precious children” and a “wonderfully lucky girl” whose presence brought great joy to her parents. Fr Heneghan, who is known to the family, offered comfort, saying Alice’s parents were “surrounded by love” during this difficult time.

Young Alice had just started her summer vacation when she was photographed outside her dance class wearing leggings, sneakers and a T-shirt that read “Vacay Vibes.” At the memorial service, her parents said the nine-year-old was completely devoted to dancing, the Mirror reports.

Marshside Road was littered with pink ribbons tied around buildings and lamp posts as crowds gathered ahead of the ceremony. Paramedics on hand paid their respects to Alice by laying pink heart-shaped balloons and large bouquets of flowers in her memory.