London terror: Witnesses describe horrifying attack by men with knives in pub
UPDATE: UK police have confirmed officers have shot dead three armed attackers wearing fake explosive cannisters within eight minutes of the first call for help as the London terror attacks unfolded.
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UK POLICE have confirmed three armed terrorists were shot dead within eight minutes of the first call after a van mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge and men armed with knives began attacking people.
The attackers were wearing what looked like explosive vests but these were later established to be hoaxes.
One witness described the horrifying moment three men armed with knives smashed the windows of the Wheatsheaf pub near London Bridge as they tried to gain access to drinkers inside.
Three men armed with hunting knives randomly stabbed people after the van they were travelling in ploughed into about 20 pedestrians on London Bridge before making their way to Borough Market.
Police shot two suspected terrorists wearing knife-proof vests with canisters attached to them outside the Wheatsheaf.
Six people have reportedly been killed and dozens more have been seriously injured as the attacks unfolded first on London Bridge, then restaurants and pubs at nearby Borough Market.
Four explosions – believed to be controlled explosions by police – were heard outside The Sun offices in London Bridge between 1:23am and 1:49am.
About 48 people have reportedly been taken to hospital.
The doors of the pub had been locked before the men began smashing their way in.
One witness told The Sun: “I was in the Wheatsheaf pub. The doors were locked by the bar staff. Three men with big hunting knives were outside.
“They were trying to get in the pub but the doors were locked. They were smashing the windows.
“I saw at least one man stabbed in the chest about five times.
“Armed police turned up, I saw them shoot at least two of the guys in front of me.
“They had four to five silver canisters attached to themselves and police just opened fire.
“They fired at least 20 times. One of the guys in the pub took a bullet in the head. I think he’s dead.”
Another witness has described the terrifying moment a woman stumbled into a pub under London Bridge bleeding heavily from her neck and seeking assistance.
Alex Shellum told The Sun he was at the Mudlark Pub when the woman came in bleeding heavily from her neck.
“At around 10pm an injured woman came into the pub seeking assistance.
“She was bleeding heavily from the neck — it appeared that her throat had been cut.
“People sought to stem the bleeding and the pub was closed.”
Eyewitness Alex Shellum tells BBC about moment a woman entered Mudlark pub at #LondonBridge with serious injuries https://t.co/uqQwAuKckJ pic.twitter.com/1iGpY6yJtD
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) June 4, 2017
The Sun reports casualties were also seen being taken away from Tito’s restaurant on London Bridge Street with blood on the steps of the eatery.
Police could be heard shouting “clear the area, now” while screaming people ran in fear for their lives.
Jag Sandue was at the Black and Blue steak restaurant when he said he saw several men storm in, armed with knives.
He said a man was cut down behind him, with blood spraying onto Jag’s shirt.
He told The Sun Online: “There were people throwing chairs and glasses outside and I thought it might just be a fight.
“Then I realised it was more than that, people were running.
“Next thing we know, they’re in our restaurant. People were screaming ‘they’ve got knives’.”
#Londonbridge #boroughmarket #vauxhall pic.twitter.com/a7OciBEBjH
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 3, 2017
Metropolitan Police responded to a third incident southwest at Vauxhall.
UK Police took to social media telling people in London city to run and hide as they responded to the attack.
On social media, London Met told people to people to “run — to a place of safety. This is a better option than to surrender or negotiate.
“Hide — turn your phone to silent and turn off vibrate. Barricade yourself in if you can.”
One witness told Reuters that she saw what appeared to be three people with knife wounds and possibly their throats cut.
Another told Sky News there had been “significant gunfire” heard in the area.
The BBC has reported several eyewitness accounts of stabbings near Borough Market.
A security guard, who did not wish to be named, said he saw four people stabbed by three attackers.
Another man, called Ben, said: “I saw a man in red with quite a large blade, I don’t know the measurement I guess maybe 10 inches. He was stabbing a man ... he stabbed him about three times fairly calmly.”
Australian Senator Sam Dastyari, meanwhile, was evacuated from a restaurant next to where the van ploughed into pedestrians.
He said he witnessed the “horrific” scenes as police led them past to a room.
“The sounds, you can hear it all, you can hear them screaming,” he told Channel Nine.
Terrible events in London beside where we were having dinner. Just terrible. Whole city in lockdown. (1of3).
— Sam Dastyari (@samdastyari) June 3, 2017
It’s horrific, they took us past them, it’s horrific the ambulances are taking them out.
“They’re trying to get people out of the city now but when these things happen the first reaction is just the fear and confusion.”
“The sheer sense and waves of and kind of panic that run through people ... the police, I can’t stress how well they’ve handled it but it takes them a few minutes to actually get to places,” Mr Dastyari said.
He was unsure whether people had heard gunshots or whether those reports arose from panic at the scene.
“There was reports of gunfire but in fact that could have had more to do with the sheer number of police running into the area,” Mr Dastyari said.
“Other people were pointing to different sounds and saying they thought it was gunfire when they had us locked up in this little room upstairs at a restaurant.
“It’s not fortunately a sound I’ve had that much to do with ... I suspect it wasn’t.”
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