Top story: Attacks in London Bridge
Good morning, Graham Russell here bringing you an extra edition of the morning briefing to help you make sense of the horrific events in central London last night.
News is still unfolding – we have a live blog here with all the latest movements.
So far, we know six people have died and 48 have been injured after a van carrying a group of attackers rammed pedestrians on London Bridge, before they jumped out and stabbed people in Borough Market nearby. See our full report here. We also have a quick summary here of the main events.
‘It was a rampage’
Witnesses have described bloody scenes after the attack, which took place shortly after 10pm in an area packed with bars and restaurants. Many football fans were watching the Champions League final in the many pubs nearby.
Bethany Atkin, who works for the Guardian, was at Boro Bistro underneath London Bridge when she heard a huge crash as the van hit the bridge, sending rubble showering down. She ran to London Bridge hospital, seeing bleeding victims along the way. “A man was shouting and then everyone started screaming and running away from the man. It was very sinister.”
Mayor brands it a ‘cowardly’ assault
The attacks come, of course, less than a week before the nation goes to the polls. Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Tim Farron and London mayor Sadiq Khan have joined other politicians in expressing their horror and dismay. Everyone has also expressed their gratitude to the emergency services – police said the suspects were confronted and shot by police within eight minutes of the first call.
Khan said: “We don’t yet know the full details, but this was a deliberate and cowardly attack on innocent Londoners and visitors to our city enjoying their Saturday night. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. There is no justification whatsoever for such barbaric acts,” he added.
A meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee will be held on Sunday morning. There are indications election campaigning will be suspended.
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The shockwaves spread
World leaders were quick to send messages of support for the UK, even as the full extent of events was still unfolding. Emmanuel Macron, the president of France – which has sadly faced its own share of terror attacks – said his nation was “more than ever” at the side of the UK.
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau tweeted about the “awful news from London” and directed Canadians in need of support to official channels.
Not all leaders’ messages were greeted warmly. US president Donald Trump was accused of political opportunism after tweeting that the London attacks helped build the case for a Muslim travel ban.
“We need to be smart, vigilant and tough. We need the courts to give us back our rights. We need the travel ban as an extra level of safety!” he said.
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Offers of help
As the security operation forced parts of the capital’s transport network to shut down, London residents took to social media to offer help to those stranded.
Under the #SofaForLondon hashtag, people opened their homes to give people a place to stop – one helpfully tweeting a map of gurdwaras in London that would shelter them.
Witnesses also reported hotels and restaurants the length of the southern bank of the Thames giving people water and a place to recover as they tried to make their way home.
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Sunday’s late editions
The first editions of the Sunday newspapers will not have carried the dreadful events. Here are the later editions.
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Contact information
The Met has opened a casualty bureau for those concerned about family and friends who might have been caught up in the attacks.
There are two numbers to call:
- 0800 096 1233
- 020 7158 0197
Emergency services have urged people to dial 999 only when it is a genuine emergency. The London Ambulance Service says people can dial 111 if they need medical assistance.
If you have pictures or video, the police have requested footage be uploaded to this site. We also have a Guardian Witness callout for any accounts of what happened.
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