Rampage ended in eight minutes

Emergency services praised for their rapid response to attack

The three London Bridge attack terrorists were killed within eight minutes of the first call to police.

The men were shot dead after killing seven people and injuring 48 more with a van and knife attack in the bustling area of London on Saturday night.

The attackers brought carnage to the capital, stabbing a police officer and revellers with 12-inch knives– but police put a stop to the rampage in eight minutes.

Police were called at around 10.08pm to reports of a vehicle striking pedestrians on London Bridge.

The white van then drove to Borough Market, and three men left the vehicle and began to stab people, including a British Transport Police officer.

They were confronted and shot by police at Borough Market within eight minutes of the first call being made.

National Crime Agency director general Lynne Owens said: “First and foremost our thoughts have to be with the family and friends of everyone killed or injured in last night’s horrific attack.

“But I’d also like to pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of the emergency services who attended the incident, in particular those law enforcement colleagues who risked their lives to protect the public and confronted the attackers.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said on LBC: “My respect for the emergency services increases each additional day that I am the mayor of London.

“They were there within a couple of minutes and these terrorists were shot and killed very, very quickly.

“All the emergency services, all the first responders are owed a debt of gratitude by London and I thank them for all the work they do day in day out.”

The area was heaving with Saturday night revellers when the incident took place, and people in the surrounding bars have spoken of their experiences.

Liam Connell was in Katzenjammers Bierhall in Southwark Street, where customers were told to evacuate by staff before armed police told them to get on the ground.

He told the Press Association: “Then someone came in off the street and he had a white cuff around his neck.

“(The man) said he had been stabbed in the neck and I was holding his bandage and wound while he was talking to the police.”

Barman Alex Martinez was forced to take shelter in a bin when a knifeman stormed El Pastor, the Borough restaurant where he works.

He said: “I saw that man with a knife in his hand and after that a man started screaming so I knew something wrong was happening.”

Meanwhile, an image shared by a photographer on social media showed a man on the ground with what appeared to be grey canisters around his waist by the Wheatsheaf pub in Borough.

Prime Minister Theresa May also paid tribute to the response of the emergency services, saying: “As so often in such serious situations, the police responded with great courage and great speed.

“Armed offices from the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police arrived at Borough Market within moments and shot and killed the three suspects.”