Paramedic chiefs in dock over London Bridge delays

THE families of the London Bridge victims last night demanded answers over delays by paramedics that may have led to their loved ones’ deaths.

Relatives are furious that ambulance staff took up to three hours to reach victims of the atrocity as they lay dying near the steps of Southwark Cathedral.

The inquest into the terror attack in June 2017 has heard astonishing details of how police officers and members of the public were forced to treat victims with teatowels because paramedics were delayed.

The reason for the delay has never been fully explained, but today ambulance bosses will be questioned over the failure to treat patients quickly after the attack ended at 10.16pm. Four of the eight killed were left bleeding in Green Dragon Court. Two were carried to ambulances to be treated but two were not seen by a paramedic until after 1am.

One of those carried to paramedics was French chef Sebastien Belanger, 36, who had a ‘real possibility’ of surviving had he received prompt treatment, according to pathologist Dr Benjamin Swift.

Mr Belanger’s brother Julien told the Mail the family want to know why paramedics ‘ did not immediately rush’ to the aid of the four victims in the courtyard.

The Old Bailey inquest has heard ambulance crews waited at rendezvous points 150 yards away from Green Dragon Court – the focal point of the attack.

Mr Belanger, 39, said: ‘Some people said hospitalising Sebastien quickly would have perhaps helped save him. My mother is focussing on the lack of help from some paramedics. We have asked questions [to the emergency services], and they never wanted to answer them.’

He also wants to know why desperate radio messages by police officers for medical help did not seem to elicit a response.

Another who died in the courtyard was British entrepreneur James McMullan. His family gasped at the inquest when PC Stephen Attwood said Mr McMullan, 32, was alive when he reached him and could have been saved with swift medical intervention.

Police officers decided to carry Mr McMullan towards an ambulance when no paramedics arrived.

More than 20 ambulances were despatched minutes after three terrorists mowed down pedestrians with a van and then attacked dozens of others with 12in ceramic kitchen knives on June 3, 2017.

But they were told to wait at various rendezvous points away from the carnage. By then the terrorists had been shot dead by police.

Paramedic Keir Rutherford has admitted looking over railings into the courtyard at 10.30pm but left with two colleagues – Gary Edwards and Jake Carlson – when he could not see anyone.

The Old Bailey inquest has heard Mr Edwards and Mr Carlson were specifically trained to work in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist attack and were equipped with ballistic vests, helmets and goggles.

But they decided the situation was too dangerous and instead evacuated the walking wounded across the bridge to the north side of the Thames.

Paramedic Gail Collison had also been given protective equipment to work in areas of ‘high risk’. But she admitted she treated her first patient at 1.07am - three hours after the attack unfolded.

This patient was Alexandre Pigeard, who was already dead. Her second patient was nurse Kirsty Boden, who had also died.

The families of the four victims who died in the courtyard that night are being represented by Gareth Patterson QC, an expert in the field of terrorism.

Mr Patterson said the ambulance crews showed a ‘remarkable lack of urgency’ given the ‘desperate need for paramedics’.

The inquest continues.

‘Remarkable lack of urgency’