It has now been confirmed that seven members of the public have died and 48 people have been injured in last night’s London Bridge and Borough Market terror attack.
Eyewitnesses described seeing a white van travelling at high speed along London Bridge, hitting pedestrians, before crashing close to the Barrowboy and Banker pub. Three men then got out and began attacking people in a very busy vicinity.
The three suspects were shot dead within eight minutes of the first 999 call being received.
Police began receiving reports at 10.08pm on Saturday 4th June that a vehicle had struck pedestrians on London Bridge.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick praised the “extraordinary bravery” of her officers, on and off duty, who risked their lives by rushing to confront the attackers.
She said she understood there could be a certain amount of “fear” among Londoners, she added: “The last thing we need is people over-reacting or taking out their frustrations on people in other communities or in their own communities.
“I have heard truly remarkable stories of extraordinary brave actions by officers – on and off duty – who were first on the scene. I also heard of colleagues from other emergency services and members of the public who ran towards the danger as this incident unfolded.
“Many, many people risked their own safety to help others and to treat those seriously injured and indeed to confront the suspects involved.
“It is clear to me that the courage of those people during and following the attack was extraordinary and I pay tribute to all of them who came to the aid of those in need during this dreadful attack and I am sure helped to save lives.
“This is a fast-moving investigation and we have significant resources deployed both to the investigation and to the visible patrols that people will be seeing as they wake up this morning. We will have increased patrols in many areas by the police, and these will as you would expect include armed officers.
“An emergency number has been established for anyone who is concerned for loved ones who perhaps not have returned home. The Casualty Bureau number is 0800 0961 233.
“Our priority now is to work with our colleagues in the National Counter Terrorism Policing Network and also with the intelligence agencies and other security services to establish more details about the individuals who carried out the attack and the background to it.
“Finally, this is a very worrying time for people; I do understand that. I would ask people in London and visitors to remain calm. Please of course be very vigilant and if you see anything suspicious, anything at all, or you are concerned about anyone at all, even if you think it is very insignificant, don’t hesitate to contact us on the anti-terrorism hotline on 0800 789 321. Your information could be vital.”
