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| London Bridge attack: victim named in reports as Jack Merritt – latest updates | London Bridge attack: victim named in reports as Jack Merritt – latest updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Boris Johnson visits scene and says system of automatic early release isn’t working | Boris Johnson visits scene and says system of automatic early release isn’t working |
| My colleague Molly Blackall has been at the scene of the attack today. | |
| Tony Fitzgerald, 50, walked past the TV cameras stationed at the base of the bridge carrying a bunch of flowers. “There’s only one bunch of flowers other than my bunch,” he said, visibly upset. “Where is everyone? I thought it would be packed with flowers, but you can’t see anyone. I’ve come all the way from Essex to be here, I couldn’t sleep last night because it makes me sick.” | |
| Imams left the first bunch of flowers at the site early this morning, and later joined Fitzgerald at the bridge where they shared an embrace. “When we arrived this morning, there were no flowers, nothing,” Mansoor Clarke said. “We thought it’d be appropriate that for an act done in the name of Islam, we were the first to lay flowers.” | |
| His fellow imam, Sabah Ahmedi, said: “The word Islam actually means peace, so when you have a Muslim terrorist, it’s an oxymoron because it translates to peaceful terrorist.“We wanted to stand in solidarity with Londoners, and really the whole of humanity, and we’ve found a community here in our shared grief,” he added. | |
| Fitzgerald said: “My family are Irish, and Irish people shouldn’t be blamed for the IRA, so why should Muslims be blamed for this?” | |
| NHS chief executive, Simon Stevens, has said that the condition of a London Bridge victim who was critically injured has improved. “While three people remain in hospital, this means two are now stable and a third has less serious injuries,” he said. | |
| British Transport police have confirmed that a man in a suit filmed running away from the scene with a knife taken from the attacker was one of their officers in plain clothes. | |
| Chief constable Paul Crowther from British Transport Police, said: | Chief constable Paul Crowther from British Transport Police, said: |
| You can read the whole story about the comments from Usman Khan’s lawyer here. | You can read the whole story about the comments from Usman Khan’s lawyer here. |
| Lawyer Vajahat Sharif said Khan, whom he last spoke to in March, was released to a bail hostel from where he had to report to a police station every day, had interactions with the probation service and had to wear a tag. | Lawyer Vajahat Sharif said Khan, whom he last spoke to in March, was released to a bail hostel from where he had to report to a police station every day, had interactions with the probation service and had to wear a tag. |
| Sharif said the policy for terrorist prisoners needed to change to boost efforts to turn them away from supporting ideologies that incite violence: “There is a flaw in the policy. You should have substantial ideological evaluation of these individuals before they are released on licence.” | Sharif said the policy for terrorist prisoners needed to change to boost efforts to turn them away from supporting ideologies that incite violence: “There is a flaw in the policy. You should have substantial ideological evaluation of these individuals before they are released on licence.” |
| In a series of tweets, Jack Merritt’s father warned that he did not want his son’s death to be used as an excuse to introduce “more draconian” sentences. He wrote: | In a series of tweets, Jack Merritt’s father warned that he did not want his son’s death to be used as an excuse to introduce “more draconian” sentences. He wrote: |
| One of the victims has been named in reports as Jack Merritt, who worked as a co-ordinator for Learning Together, a prisoner rehabilitation initiative run by the University’s Institute of Criminology, which organised the conference at which the attack started. | One of the victims has been named in reports as Jack Merritt, who worked as a co-ordinator for Learning Together, a prisoner rehabilitation initiative run by the University’s Institute of Criminology, which organised the conference at which the attack started. |
| Cambridgeshire Live is quoting from a tweet, sent by Merritt’s father, David, in which he pays tribute to his son. “You were a beautiful spirit who always took the side of the underdog,” he said. | Cambridgeshire Live is quoting from a tweet, sent by Merritt’s father, David, in which he pays tribute to his son. “You were a beautiful spirit who always took the side of the underdog,” he said. |
| City of London police have released a statement from the commissioner, Ian Dyson. | City of London police have released a statement from the commissioner, Ian Dyson. |
| In a statement at the scene, Sadiq Khan said that London Bridge was set to stay closed for “some time” while investigations and forensic tests took place, reports Molly Blackall. The mayor of London confirmed that one of the injured was in critical condition. | In a statement at the scene, Sadiq Khan said that London Bridge was set to stay closed for “some time” while investigations and forensic tests took place, reports Molly Blackall. The mayor of London confirmed that one of the injured was in critical condition. |
| Khan said that police thought the attacker was acting alone, describing the attack as “not sophisticated”. He said he was proud of the “ordinary people who acted in extraordinary ways”, describing them as the “best of us, and the best of humanity”. | Khan said that police thought the attacker was acting alone, describing the attack as “not sophisticated”. He said he was proud of the “ordinary people who acted in extraordinary ways”, describing them as the “best of us, and the best of humanity”. |
| “There are many reasons to be depressed and gloomy, but every day miracles occur,” he said, praising the “amazing heroism”, with people “using their initiative regarding weapons to de-weaponise the man who had two knives”. | “There are many reasons to be depressed and gloomy, but every day miracles occur,” he said, praising the “amazing heroism”, with people “using their initiative regarding weapons to de-weaponise the man who had two knives”. |
| “The members of the public and police who intervened had no idea whether the device [the attacker was wearing] was real, or what other weapons he had,” he added. | “The members of the public and police who intervened had no idea whether the device [the attacker was wearing] was real, or what other weapons he had,” he added. |
| Khan insisted that while the terror threat level had been taken down to ‘substantial’, meaning a terror attack was likely, that “didn’t mean the police or others were any less vigilant”. | Khan insisted that while the terror threat level had been taken down to ‘substantial’, meaning a terror attack was likely, that “didn’t mean the police or others were any less vigilant”. |
| Responding to speculation over the nationalities of the members of the public who apprehended the attacker, he confirmed that one was a Londoner of Polish origin. “One of the great things about London is its diversity, so I’m not surprised at all. When I say ‘the best of us’, I include EU citizens as well.” | Responding to speculation over the nationalities of the members of the public who apprehended the attacker, he confirmed that one was a Londoner of Polish origin. “One of the great things about London is its diversity, so I’m not surprised at all. When I say ‘the best of us’, I include EU citizens as well.” |
| The mayor said London was “getting back to business as usual” and praised people carrying on with day-to-day life, saying it was great to see so many people in “bustling” Borough market. | The mayor said London was “getting back to business as usual” and praised people carrying on with day-to-day life, saying it was great to see so many people in “bustling” Borough market. |
| Former chief prosecutor, Nazir Afzal, has said the government was repeatedly warned of the risk posed by convicted terrorists being released from prison while still radicalised. Writing on twitter, he said he had spoken to Boris Johnson on 30 June 2016 at a 50th anniversary function at Brunel University, in Uxbridge, west London, where he is an MP. | Former chief prosecutor, Nazir Afzal, has said the government was repeatedly warned of the risk posed by convicted terrorists being released from prison while still radicalised. Writing on twitter, he said he had spoken to Boris Johnson on 30 June 2016 at a 50th anniversary function at Brunel University, in Uxbridge, west London, where he is an MP. |
| A convicted murderer was among ex-prisoners and members of the public who grappled with and eventually grounded the London Bridge knife attacker before police arrived, Sarah Marsh reports.Among those who pinned down the attacker was James Ford, 42, who is also thought to have tried to save the life of a woman who had been stabbed. Ford was jailed for life in 2004 for the murder of 21-year-old Amanda Champion, who had a mental age of 15.Ford, who is understood to be serving the final days of his sentence at HMP Standford Hill, an open prison in Kent, was on London Bridge as the attack unfolded. | A convicted murderer was among ex-prisoners and members of the public who grappled with and eventually grounded the London Bridge knife attacker before police arrived, Sarah Marsh reports.Among those who pinned down the attacker was James Ford, 42, who is also thought to have tried to save the life of a woman who had been stabbed. Ford was jailed for life in 2004 for the murder of 21-year-old Amanda Champion, who had a mental age of 15.Ford, who is understood to be serving the final days of his sentence at HMP Standford Hill, an open prison in Kent, was on London Bridge as the attack unfolded. |
| The prime minister has been speaking to journalists on his visit to the scene. He said he had “long said” that the system of automatic early release wasn’t working: | The prime minister has been speaking to journalists on his visit to the scene. He said he had “long said” that the system of automatic early release wasn’t working: |
| Asked about reassuring the public that they are safe if other convicted terrorists are out on licence, the prime minister said: “Well I can tell you that we’ve had a long discussion already today about all those cases and a great deal of work is being done right now to make sure that the public is protected.” | Asked about reassuring the public that they are safe if other convicted terrorists are out on licence, the prime minister said: “Well I can tell you that we’ve had a long discussion already today about all those cases and a great deal of work is being done right now to make sure that the public is protected.” |
| The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, is at London Bridge. He said: “Yesterday we saw ordinary people acting in extraordinary ways.” | The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, is at London Bridge. He said: “Yesterday we saw ordinary people acting in extraordinary ways.” |
| ITV News has a letter written by the attacker from jail, asking to take part in a deradicalisation course. He wrote: | ITV News has a letter written by the attacker from jail, asking to take part in a deradicalisation course. He wrote: |
| The Met commissioner, Cressida Dick, has been speaking to journalists at the scene. | The Met commissioner, Cressida Dick, has been speaking to journalists at the scene. |
| She said police would be in the area of the attack for some time to come, but that they were doing their best to open roads and that London Bridge station was open. | She said police would be in the area of the attack for some time to come, but that they were doing their best to open roads and that London Bridge station was open. |
| Yesterday we saw “the most extraordinary courage” from members of the public, she said. “It was a terrible thing that people found themselves in that position, but as we saw the worst of human kind, we also saw the very best of human spirit and of London.” | Yesterday we saw “the most extraordinary courage” from members of the public, she said. “It was a terrible thing that people found themselves in that position, but as we saw the worst of human kind, we also saw the very best of human spirit and of London.” |
| She repeated that they believed the attacker was acting alone. | She repeated that they believed the attacker was acting alone. |
| The London Bridge attacker had asked while in prison for help to be deradicalised, his solicitor has said. Vajahat Sharif told the Guardian that Usman Khan had come to see violent extremism as wrong and had accepted his understanding of Islam was deficient. | The London Bridge attacker had asked while in prison for help to be deradicalised, his solicitor has said. Vajahat Sharif told the Guardian that Usman Khan had come to see violent extremism as wrong and had accepted his understanding of Islam was deficient. |
| Sharif told the Guardian: | Sharif told the Guardian: |
| The full story will be up soon. | The full story will be up soon. |
| The man who used a narwhal tusk to apprehend the attacker has been named in media reports as Łukasz, a chef from Poland who worked in Fishmongers’ Hall. | The man who used a narwhal tusk to apprehend the attacker has been named in media reports as Łukasz, a chef from Poland who worked in Fishmongers’ Hall. |
| The prime minister and home secretary have visited the scene of the attack. Boris Johnson and Priti Patel met with Metropolitan police commissioner, Cressida Dick, and City of London police commissioner, Ian Dyson, inside the police cordon shortly after 11.30am. They then accompanied the police chiefs in a walkabout of the area. | The prime minister and home secretary have visited the scene of the attack. Boris Johnson and Priti Patel met with Metropolitan police commissioner, Cressida Dick, and City of London police commissioner, Ian Dyson, inside the police cordon shortly after 11.30am. They then accompanied the police chiefs in a walkabout of the area. |