By Jonny Humphries

Copyright bbc

Mrs Stancombe recalled the moment they had received a call to say a man had attacked the dance class, and how they had driven to the scene in their car before abandoning it in the middle of the road.

She said two police officers had had to lift Mr Stancombe off his feet to stop him running inside the building.

She said they had been able to see the “devastation” caused as they searched among the other wounded girls for Elsie.

“What we saw that day will stay with us for the rest of our lives,” Mrs Stancombe told the inquiry.

“Out of respect for the other victims, I will not go into detail, but it goes without saying; no human being should ever witness what we did that day.”

She said after they had described Elsie’s clothing, a police officer confirmed a child inside the building fitting that description “hadn’t made it”.

“David knelt down in front of me and just looked at me. I didn’t believe them. I didn’t want to believe them,” she said.

“Elsie’s life was stolen, robbed in the most traumatic way.”

The inquiry continues.