Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the killing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class must lead to “fundamental change” in how the British state protects citizens.

The Southport killer’s record-high 52-year sentence will be reviewed amid criticism it was not long enough after mounting calls for law changes to see child criminals like him die in jail.

Six months after a teenage attacker stabbed three girls to death at a children’s dance class in England, new details about his background have sparked questions about how authorities repeatedly failed to spot the threat he posed.

Evil Axel Rudakubana murdered Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, and Bebe King, six, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 last year

Keir Starmer has denied engaging in a cover-up to prevent the public knowing about Southport killer Axel Rudakubana’s background in the aftermath of his murderous rampage. The prime minister insisted he was following “the law of the land” to avoid the possibility of the case against the 18-year-old collapsing and him then being able to walk free.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the killing of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class must lead to “fundamental change” in how the British state protects citizens

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer defended the decision taken by authorities not to share information about the case earlier on.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the failure of state institutions in the case of child-killer Axel Rudakubana “frankly leaps off the page”. The 18-year-old pleaded guilty on Monday to murdering three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, in July.

Keir Starmer to address nation after being accused of 'cover up' over child killer Axel Rudakubana - Reform leader Nigel Farage has accused Sir Keir Starmer and the police of being part of a ‘gigantic

Southport killer Axel Rudakubana is set to be sentenced on Thursday morning for murdering three young girls in a frenzied knife attack last year. Rudakubana, 18, stabbed and killed the girls, aged between six and nine, with a 20cm-long kitchen knife as he ambushed a Taylor Swift -themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside.

The Prime Minister spoke live to the nation from Number 10 Downing Street on Tuesday in response to the Southport attack

In a televised statement, the prime minister said that a public inquiry would tackle failings in the case of Axel Rudakubana, who injured another eight children, their instructor and a passer-by.