Terror victims remembered

– Britain held a national minute of silence yesterday, one year on from the London Bridge terror attack that killed eight people and injured dozens more.

Flowers were laid, candles lit and a religious service held at Southwark Cathedral – the spot where three men in a van crashed after careening into crowds, before launching a stabbing spree at nearby Borough Market.

“Today, we remember those who died and the many more who were injured, and also pay tribute to the bravery of our emergency services and those who intervened or came to the aid of others,” said Prime Minister Theresa May.

She branded the June 3 attack “a cowardly attempt to strike at the heart of our freedoms by deliberately targeting people enjoying their Saturday night with friends and family”. She noted that seven of the victims were foreign nationals.

“This is a reflection of our great cosmopolitan capital, whose energy and values brings together people from across the world, and a tragic reminder that the threat from terrorism transcends borders and impacts us all,” she said.

Yesterday, Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced a new review of counterterrorism legislation would be launched today, including a provision to recruit up to 2 000 extra security officers in the intelligence services.

“One of the other announcements I’ll be making is that MI5 will be sharing much more of its information with other organisations,” he said on the BBC.

“Not just with counterterrorism police but neighbourhood police, with local government ... to make sure that there is a much higher chance of finding some of these extremists and disrupting plots a lot earlier on.”

The words #LondonUnited were projected onto the bridge following a minute of silence.

Candles were lit by relatives of the victims during the ceremony before an olive tree was planted in the cathedral grounds using compost from floral tributes left on the bridge following the murders. – AFP