OUT OF TERROR, A CITY UNITED IN HOPE
THE family of a retired window cleaner killed in the Westminster terror atrocity today spoke of their hurt and anger as a special service honoured the victims and their families.
Relatives of Les Rhodes, 75, told of a “quiet and kind” man on the day that 1,800 people — including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry — attended a “Service of Hope” at Westminster Abbey. Mr Rhodes, from Clapham, was one of dozens of pedestrians
targeted by Khalid Masood, who drove along Westminster Bridge at speeds of up to 70mph. The terrorist killed four people and injured dozens of others in the 82-second atrocity on March 22.
Survivors, witnesses and members of the emergency services attended the multi-faith service at the abbey. Among those present were relatives of Pc Keith Palmer, 48, who was stabbed to death trying to stop Masood breaking into the Houses of Parliament. The attacker, 52, was shot dead. Melissa Cochran, 46, from Utah, who was injured and whose husband Kurt, 54, was killed, was due to attend in a wheelchair. New images show her recovering in hospital. A caption reads: “When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt.”
Relatives of Aysha Frade, 44, who was also killed, were expected to attend, as well as police officers injured on the bridge as they returned from a commendation ceremony. Eight people remain in hospital.
Mr Rhodes, who had no children, was walking across the bridge when he was struck by Masood’s rented 4x4. He died the next day in hospital, with his neighbours at his bedside, when his life-support machine was turned off.
Today his niece Amanda Rhodes, 52, and cousin Carol Mardon, 75, described him as a quiet, gentle man in an interview with Sky News. Ms Rhodes said: “I just feel numb. I feel angry in some ways because I wasn’t there when he died.”
She described how he had stepped in when her father died suddenly: “I used to love waiting for Les to come up because to me Les looked so much like attended the service, Mr Khan said: “Today is an opportunity for all Londoners to say thank you to the emergency services and the police who went above and beyond the call of duty to keep us all safe. It’s also our opportunity to pay