Heroes defy knife extremists
Face to face with fanatics, people fought back with tables, chairs, crates, glasses - they wouldn’t stand by and let terrorists do what they wanted
REVELLERS under attack from the fanatic knifemen fought back with makeshift weapons, it emerged last night.
They hurled chairs and tables and tried to batter the three terrorists – who were wearing fake suicide vests – to halt their deadly rampage.
And witnesses said the bravery of diners and drinkers prevented the death toll being far greater.
Others ignored their own safety to care for those injured in the mayhem at bustling Borough Market on Saturday night.
One traumatised witness, who did not want to be named, described how drinkers defied the maniacs during their eight-minute rampage.
“Once people realised what was going on, they weren’t going to stand back and let them do what they wanted,” he said.
“Outside one pub, they were hurling tables and chairs at one guy. He was trying to get inside but gave up because he was being hit. I think glasses were chucked too.”
Railway worker Gerard Vowls, 47, was confronted with the attack as he headed out to get some food in a nearby supermarket.
He said: “I’d got to the NatWest bank when I saw a man leaning against a glass window. He’d been stabbed.
“Then a guy dressed in white legged it past me shouting, ‘They’re stabbing people, they’re stabbing people.’
“It was a split second later when I saw the three guys. I could see something strapped to them, like lots of mobile phones wrapped round their bodies with duct tape.
“They were stood over a woman on the ground. There was a bike next to her, so I don’t know if they pushed her off or not.
“They were stabbing her and stabbing her. She was saying, ‘Help me, help me’ but I couldn’t do anything.
“Then the men ran towards the market, where all the boozers are. I ran after them, shouting at people to warn them.
“I was screaming, ‘They’re terrorists, run’ but it was busy and most people couldn’t hear me.
“I grabbed a pint glass and lobbed it at one of them. He turned and came at me so I ran.
“I tried to pick up one of those Boris bikes and then threw a chair. I grabbed some beer bottles and lobbed them.
“The three terrorists all stuck closely together. Each of them had a big knife. They were just stabbing anyone they came across.
“I was screaming for help. Most people just ran but in the pubs people were chucking glasses at them.
“Eventually they ran off towards the bridge again. I saw two police officers, a man and a woman, and told them where they’d gone.
“We all ran together towards the bridge and then heard the gunfire. I saw all three lying on the ground. The WPC began screaming at me, saying ‘Get away, they’ve got bombs.’
“I can’t stop thinking about that poor woman who was being stabbed. They were over her like a pack of animals.
“I’m praying she survived. I just wish I could have done more to save her.”
Chef Florin Morariu hit one of the terrorists over the head with a crate in a bid to halt the attack.
He also helped shelter 20 people inside the bakery where he works.
He said: “We were looking out of the window because we saw that everyone was agitated, everyone was running.
“They were fainting, falling and we went outside to see what was happening.”
He said he went outside and saw two people stabbing others – so he hit one on the head with a crate.
Richard Angell, 33, was enjoying drinks and food with pals at the Arabica Bar and Kitchen when the attack happened.
He said clearly shaken security guards ordered everything to be “locked down” and told people to take cover. He said: “I looked up and there was this guy throwing an entire table.
“This heroic guy started bombarding these cowardly people with anything he could get his hands on.
“A guy walked from the restaurant next door holding his neck or chest, covered in blood.
“I was looking after a pregnant woman, she was my priority. We were clearly in the middle of something serious.
“Police turned up, we heard two shots go off, then more went off. After about 30 minutes, they started to evacuate us.
“There was blood on the streets, a group of paramedics was looking after a woman who was face down. They turned back to danger to try to save her. If that’s not heroism then I don’t know what is.
“The police kept us safe. These attackers do not get to win, they don’t get to change our way of life.”
Staff in the Cafe Brood restaurant helped save the lives of dozens of diners on their terrace, ushering them inside.
Owner Mark Stembridge, 54, said: “My staff were great and were very, very quick to react, if it wasn’t for them the customers could have lost their lives. Four of my staff are from Albania and some have been in the military.”
Natasha Phillips, 42, from Kent, paid tribute to the staff at the Wheatsheaf pub, where she was drinking when the terrorists tried to force their way in.
She said: “One of the workers told us all to get on the floor. People were turning over tables to use them as shelter.
“Then a guy ran in and said a guy was bleeding to death and was anyone a doctor.
“The staff then locked the doors. The terrorists were banging on the door trying to get in. It was horrifying. The bar staff saved our lives.”