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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Rachael Pells

London attack: Martial artist who tackled terrorist is 'out of surgery and on the mend'

A martial arts expert and journalist who was stabbed in the neck during the London terror attack has successfully made it out of surgery.

Geoff Ho, who is a business editor at the Sunday Express, was taken to intensive care after attempting to protect a bouncer on the door on the Southwark Tavern in Borough Market. 

He had stepped in to break up what he believed to be a fight, unaware that it was in fact terrorists who were attacking members of the public with knives and a van.

Posting a Twitter message on Monday morning, Mr Ho said: “Thank you every one for the best wishes. I got out of surgery yesterday and am on the mend.”

Friends had previously expressed concern after the martial arts enthusiast went missing shortly after the attack, prompting desperate appeals for information online.

One said she thought he would have “stood up and been counted because he's just that type of person”.

Through the help of social media, Mr Ho was found in an intensive care ward in the city.

Although he can sit up on his hospital bed, he cannot yet speak, the Mirror reported.

Geoff Ho being, injured, being led away from the attack (Ayes Gokkaya/screengrab)

Martin Townsend, editor of the Sunday Express, said: “Geoff Ho is an absolutely first-class reporter and a fine and decent man and our thoughts are with him and his family at this time.”

In a Facebook post, Mr Ho later wrote: “Don’t know whether it was stupid or noble to jump and break up the fight outside the Southwark Tavern, but two a*******s trying to do over the lone bouncer on the door isn’t happening on my watch.”

Three men drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge on Saturday night, before heading into Borough Market, where they attacked people with 12-inch knives.

At least seven people were killed and dozens more injured in the attack.

The men, who wore fake suicide vests, were shot and killed by armed police within minutes.

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