The teenager charged with the murders of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport is said to be an introvert with a background in musical theatre.

Axel Rudakubana, who turns 18 on Wednesday, was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents, and had been living in the village of Banks, just outside Southport, at the time of the attack.

He has an older brother, who was also born in the Welsh capital, according to reports.

Helen, a neighbour of the family while they lived there, told the BBC of her shock, adding: “They were a lovely young couple. They were little boys, they were boisterous.

“Mum was a stay-at-home mum, Dad was nice, he went to work every day. They had a small family car, a little hatchback.”

Another former neighbour of Rudakubana’s family described him as a “quiet” boy who was clingy to his mother as a child.

A 51-year-old teaching assistant who lives opposite the family’s former home, told the Daily Telegraph: “There were no problems while they were living here – they were a friendly couple with two little boys.

“I can’t believe what’s happened.”

Rudakubana would accompany his father to karate classes as a child, sensei Chico Mbakwe, an instructor in Cardiff, said.

He told the PA news agency: “He would come and do grading and his father would take him home. I can’t even really remember the boy but can vaguely remember the dad.

“The last time I saw the father he was taking part in his grading, he wasn’t my student, he was somebody else’s.

“I told him: ‘You can carry on but even if you have a brainstorm and turn it on now I would still fail you.’

“He said he wanted his money back. Once you pay your money there’s no return normally but I said: ‘Give him his money back and tell him to get out.’ That’s the last time I saw him.”

The family reportedly moved to the Southport area around 2013 and lived in a semi-detached property in a quiet cul-de-sac in Banks.

Neighbours have said the family are “heavily involved with the local church”, and that they would often hear singing from their house, the Liverpool Echo reported.

The Times reported that Rudakubana has a background in musical theatre.

A friend from his musical theatre group told the newspaper he “turned up one day in class, and they said ‘make him welcome, because he’s just moved from quite far away'”.

He was said to have appeared in a musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End.

“I think it was more him trying to branch out and meet kids in the community… he was enjoying it but you know, with musical theatre kids… they’re very extroverted, he wasn’t, he was very quiet,” the friend said.

“He didn’t really talk about himself that much.”

The friend said he “didn’t speak about Rwanda” but “you could definitely tell with his accent”.

“The brother was a lot more talkative… his dad came across quite educated, and presentable,” the friend added.

The Daily Mail said his parents are now believed to be in hiding.