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London heroes open their hearts and homes after the terror attack

HUMAN kindness shone through in London as Gerard Vowls ran after the attackers when he saw them stabbing a girl. He fought back and tried to save lives.

Anthony Keane
4 min read
June 5, 2017 - 12:20AM
News Corp Australia Network
Guests from the Premier Inn Bankside Hotel are evacuated and kept in a group with police on Upper Thames Street following an incident in central London. Picture: PA via AP
Guests from the Premier Inn Bankside Hotel are evacuated and kept in a group with police on Upper Thames Street following an incident in central London. Picture: PA via AP

HUMAN kindness shone through in the face of fear as hundreds of Londoners helped each other and even opened their homes to people affected by the terror attacks.

Gerard Vowls, 47, was watching the Champions League final at The Ship pub in Borough. He had left pub and was walking home when he saw he saw a woman being stabbed by three men at the south side of London Bridge.

He told the BBC: “Next thing I saw these three guys run up with knives — they started stabbing this girl.

“I was defenceless, I couldn’t do nothing mate.

“They started running up the road I was screaming ‘Run, everyone run, they’re terrorists, they’re stabbing everyone!’ So I followed them.

“They ran up to the Tavern, they stabbed the bouncer. They started running in all the pubs, all the bars. They were stabbing everyone. I was throwing bottles at them, pint glasses, stools.”

He added: “I tried to help as many people as I could but at the end of the day I was defenceless, mate.

“If I’d have fell over they probably would have killed me.”

He said he witnessed attackers stabbing a girl between ten and fifteen times.

He even tried to prise a saddle off a nearby bike to throw at them during the attack.

“I want to know if this girl is still alive,” he said.

“I’ve been walking around for an hour and a half crying my eyes out. I don’t know what to do.”

Vowls said he was throwing chairs, glasses and bottles at the attackers in a bid to stop them. “They kept coming to try to stab me … they were stabbing everyone. Evil, evil people.”

“I know it was a silly thing to do, but I was just trying to save people’s lives.”

ANGEL OF LONDON BRIDGE

A cab driver has spoken out about a heroic passenger who saved lives by using her body to barricade a restaurant door in order to stop a terrorist from coming during the attack.

Aksha Patel explained how a woman, who was part of a couple in his vehicle, acted as a barrier for “a few seconds” which meant that people were able to escape the rear entrance of the Black and Blue restaurant.

“She knew they were bad people trying to break in,” he told Sky News.

“She managed to hold the door for a few seconds but they overpowered her. People managed to escape through the rear door so she saved maybe 20 people’s lives”.

LONDON’S HERO CABBIE

A heroic taxi driver has also told how he attempted to run over three armed terrorists to put an end to the attack on London Bridge which left seven dead.

The driver, identified only as Chris, said he then spun his car around in a desperate attempt to stop the atrocity.

He said: “I said to the guy in my cab I was going to try and hit him, I was going to ram him.

“I turned around and tried, but he sidestepped me.

“I spun the cab round, I was about to ram one of them, but he sidestepped and three police officers came running towards them with their batons drawn.

Dashcam video showing victims of the London Bridge attack. Source: Radoslav Petrov/YouTube
Dashcam video showing victims of the London Bridge attack. Source: Radoslav Petrov/YouTube

Just moments earlier Chris witnessed the van mowing down pedestrians as it veered on and off the pavement on London Bridge at 50mph.

He said: “A van came from London Bridge itself, went between the traffic light system and rammed it towards the steps. It knocked loads of people down.

“Then three men got out with long blades, 12 inches long and went randomly along Borough High Street stabbing people at random. I saw a young girl stabbed in the chest.”

Patrons at London Pub told 'Get down' amid major incident

OFFERS OF BEDS, TEA AND SAFETY

Offers of beds, cups of tea, food and rides home quickly appeared on social media as police were telling people to run to a place of safety after a van ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridget and a stabbing attack at nearby Borough Market.

At least seven victims are dead and the offers of help came while police were still searching for the attackers.

Gurudwaras, places of worship for Sikhs, offered food and shelter.

Churches also tweeted they were offering places to sleep or a cup of something.

Individuals also opened their hearts and homes to complete strangers.

Meghan Feeks tweeted: “I live 5 mins from #LondonBridge. If anyone needs emergency supplies, tea or a quiet place to wait things out, message me.”

Rebekah Cracknell tweeted that she was offering phone chargers, cups of tea or somewhere to stay.

Cathy Jaquiss tweeted: “Anyone stranded or scared near London Bridge we have a warm flat and a sofa bed right around the corner. Please share #londonbridge”

Seyi Akiwono tweeted: “I’m on Cannon Street with a car if anyone needs a lift home or to the hospital.”

Zoe Beaty tweeted, offering a room, Wi-Fi, and “cuddles”.

The messages offering help were side-by-side with social media posts from worried relatives unable to get in contact with family members who they believed were visiting the area that was attacked.

Widespread praise was heaped on the quick response of emergency services.

Tom Featherstone wrote: “Once again, our emergency services run towards danger to protect us. Underpaid, undervalued, underestimated.”

Samantha wrote: “2 minute response time for the emergency services to arrive. They are incredible.”

People are lead to safety on Southwark Bridge away from London Bridge. Picture: Getty
People are lead to safety on Southwark Bridge away from London Bridge. Picture: Getty

A 25-year-old man, who wishes to remain anonymous, was driving across the bridge when he saw a man and a pregnant woman unconscious on the road.

“We thought it was a car accident but as we got closer we could see a lot of blood and bodies. “There was a pregnant woman on the right who was severely injured and on the left there was a man being resuscitated, but he started breathing.

Police tell patrons of Katzenjammers to get down during a terror attack in London. Picture: @Yatesy17 / Twitter
Police tell patrons of Katzenjammers to get down during a terror attack in London. Picture: @Yatesy17 / Twitter

“We don’t know whether the woman survived.

“We had to get out of the car and there were lots of people screaming. And then ambulances arrived. It was a shocking experience.”

London terror attacks in pictures
Police enter the Katzenjammers bar near London's Borough Markets and order patrons to the floor after a number of terrorists with knives enter the area. Source: James Yates@Yatesy17
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Originally published as London heroes open their hearts and homes after the terror attack

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/london-heroes-open-their-hearts-and-homes-after-the-terror-attack/news-story/7fed3d5b2d4f94c43071e103e41a8de2