Councils praise police bravery

All areas: Officers were ‘heroes’ during park terror attack

Council leaders from Slough and the Royal Borough have paid tribute to the bravery of police and passers-by during the terror attack in a Reading park at the weekend.

Three men were stabbed to death in Forbury Gardens and another three people were seriously injured on Saturday, at about 7pm.

A 25-year-old man from Reading was arrested after what police called a terrorist incident.

The three who were killed were James Furlong, 36, a teacher at a school in Wokingham, Joe Ritchie-Bennett, 39, an American citizen, and David Wails, a 49-year-old scientist.

In a joint statement, Slough Borough Council leader Cllr James Swindlehurst and chief executive Josie Wragg said: “Reading is our neighbour, our friend and we have reached out to our colleagues there and offered to help in any way we can as they lead their communities – so reflective of all Slough’s communities – through this tragedy.

“The stories of heroic actions by police and those who gave first aid to victims on the scene without thought to their own safety show us the inherent good of people and we urge Slough’s communities to stand together, united against those who try to divide us, celebrating our diversity and tolerance, rejecting extremism and hate.”

In a statement on Twitter on Sunday, Cllr Andrew Johnson, leader of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, said the events were an act of ‘pure wickedness and evil which must be condemned absolutely’.

“My thoughts go to the families and friends of those tragically killed and those who have been injured in this senseless attack.

“Furthermore, whilst of late there has been, unjustly in my view, criticism of the police, the bravery of the arresting police sergeant acting alone should act as a reminder to us all that they put their lives on the line to keep us safe,” he said.