The latest from The Guardian: London attacks: Update 5 AM

Last edited Sun Jun 4, 2017, 05:59 AM - Edit history (1)

What we know about the London attacks

* Police declared that the attacks in two closely connected areas of London on Saturday night were “terrorist incidents’’.

* The incidents took place on London Bridge and in nearby Borough Market.

* There were multiple casualties with London Ambulance Service saying they have taken at least 20 people to six hospitals in the capital.

* Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation hospital said it was “on lockdown” to keep patients, relatives and staff safe.

* The first report of an incident was of a white van ploughing into pedestrians on London Bridge at about 10.08pm.
Witnesses said the van swerved on to the pavement.

* There were reports of multiple stabbings in a second incident in Borough Market.

* Pictures have been circulating showing a man on the ground in the market; he appears to have canisters strapped to his body.

* Police said they responded to the attacks with gunfire.

* Police said they responded to a third incident, a stabbing at Vauxhall, but this was not connected to the events around London Bridge.

* Theresa May, the prime minster, has called the events a “terrible incident’’ that is being treated as a “potential act of terrorism’’.

*Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, thanked emergency services after the “brutal and shocking incidents reported in London”.

*London mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the “barbaric” and “horrific” attack as “deliberate and cowardly”.

* Guests at hotels in the vicinity of the attacks have been evacuated.

* Security services have carried out a number of controlled explosions in the area of the attacks.

* Police urged people to stay away from the affected areas.

* The government said there would be a meeting of the emergency committee Cobra on Sunday morning.


Live Updates

Sunday 4 June 2017 03.35 BST First published on Saturday 3 June 2017 23.04 BST
Show

** 8m ago
Amber Rudd: 'horrific attack in the heart of our capital'

*** 36m ago
Police appeal for photos/videos from public


Trump criticised for using London attacks to promote his own Muslim travel ban

Donald Trump’s first response to the news of the London attacks was to retweet a conservative news website better known for sensationalism and partisanship than for accurate reporting.

It was unclear whether the president received any kind of intelligence briefing of his own about the attacks before he saw a tweet from the Drudge Report that said: “Fears of new terror attack after van ‘mows down 20 people’ on London Bridge.”

That was what he passed on under his personal Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump.

Later, the Drudge retweet disappeared from Trump’s personal profile page.

(Screen shot of deleted retweet at link)