A man who was stabbed as he tried to stop a knife attack in which three young girls died told the BBC he was “saddened” he could not have done more to protect them.

Jonathan Hayes, who runs a business next door to the Southport studio where the attack took place, was in a critical condition after being stabbed in the leg and has undergone major surgery.

From his hospital bed, he told the BBC he did not see himself as a hero, as some press reports were portraying him.

Instead, he said: “Some would say confronting a guy wielding a hunting knife is utter madness”.

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar died in the attack, which took place at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class at the Hart Space centre on Monday.

Eight children, Mr Hayes and one other adult were also injured, with several in critical condition.

Mr Hayes, a director at Calculus Legal Costs Limited, ran next door after hearing the screams.

As he tried to step in to save children, he came under attack himself.

He had surgery on Tuesday and said he expected to be in hospital for some time because he currently “can’t walk”.

Mr Hayes said he had been “overwhelmed by the number of well wishes I have received”, many from complete strangers, and that he wanted to thank everyone who had reached out.

One such message, which he received from someone who had tracked him down after seeing his name in the news, read: “I just wanted to send my love, admiration and gratitude as a father of young children.

“I pray there’s a John Hayes out there to protect my children if/when the time comes.

“I’m sure you wish you’d been able to do more but please be proud you acted at all.”

Saddened by the news of the girls’ deaths, Mr Hayes said it would take a while to process everything that had happened.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph in the immediate aftermath of the attack, Mr Hayes’ wife Helen said he was “very upset that he wasn’t able to be more help”.

“Physically he will be OK, mentally I don’t know,” she said.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested on Monday on suspicion of murder and attempted murder and remains in custody.

The suspect, who has not been named because of his age, was born in Cardiff and later move to the village of Banks, just outside Southport.

The attack is not being treated as terror-related.