Taxi driver who dropped off Southport attacker ‘waited 50 minutes’ to call 999

ITV Granada Reports journalist Anna Youssef reports from outside the public hearing

The taxi driver who drove the Southport attacker to the scene of his crime would have been "morally" expected to make a call to emergency services - earlier than the 50 minutes he waited, a senior police officer has said.

Driver Gary Poland, who picked up AR - as the inquiry is choosing to call him - from his home in Banks, Lancashire, waited almost an hour to call 999 despite hearing children scream and seeing them flee the building in his rearview mirror as he drove away.

Giving evidence to the Southport Inquiry, at Liverpool Town Hall, Detective Chief Inspector Jason Pye, the senior investigating officer, was asked whether he would have expected a member of the public, acting responsibly, to have called 999 as soon as they got to a place of safety.

Responding to counsel to the public inquiry Nicholas Moss KC, Mr Pye said: “Accepting that he had no duty of care, I would like to think, morally, that a call would be made.”

He added: “There was enough evidence that we had that he knew what was happening, yes you would have expected a phone call to come in.”

The inquiry aims to examine AR's dealings with relevant agencies before he carried out his violent attack on 29 July 2024.

The attacker killed Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and attempted to murder 10 others after he entered the Taylor Swift dance class.

The hearing was told the teenager had left his home at 11.10am that day and called One Call Taxis a few minutes later, using an automated system which recognised his name as Simon.

Mr Pye said the then 17-year-old's Nokia phone, recovered from the scene of the attack, had the address of the studio stored with a number which correlated to a local taxi firm, save for one digit.

He also had One Call Taxis saved in the “basic” phone, as well as the postcode for the event venue, which had been advertised on Instagram.

He was picked up by the taxi just after 11.30am and travelled for 14 minutes to Hart Street where he left the vehicle and walked away as Mr Poland asked how he was paying.

When the attacker did not pay despite repeated requests, Mr Poland said “you pay now or the police are on the f****** way, you knob”, the inquiry heard.

There was no audible response from the teenager, who entered the Hart Space building and went up stairs to the studio where 26 children were taking part in the holiday club.

The inquiry was told sounds of distress could be heard at 11.46am, just 29 seconds after the teen entered the building.

Mr Moss asked Mr Pye: “That is testament to the speed of this horrifying incident?”

Mr Pye replied: “Absolutely.”

The inquiry heard the first child to escape the building, referred to as C3, came out as Mr Poland was beginning to drive away and had to change her direction because of his car as she ran out.

Mr Pye confirmed rear dashcam footage from the taxi showed children exiting the building behind the car and screaming could be heard.

Dashcam footage also showed Mr Poland looking in his rear view mirror, he said.

The inquiry heard at 12.36pm Mr Poland rang 999 and said: “I am just shook up. I can't believe it. My heart's going like I don't know what.

"I’ve picked him up, that lad thats done something."

He told the operator he was in “shock” and said Rudakubana had not said anything during the drive but seemed “very, very odd”.

He added: “I was just about to drive off, then I heard screaming, proper screaming.

"I thought 'what's that?' and there were young people running down the steps, just running down."

The inquiry was told that 27 seconds after Mr Poland heard screams, a 999 call was made by dance teacher Leanne Lucas, who had run out of the dance class with stab injuries.

Mr Pye was asked whether the delay in Mr Poland calling emergency services made any difference to the response.

He said: “That was a consideration I had to give as the senior investigator and I don’t believe it did.”

Mr Poland is expected to give evidence to the inquiry later this week.