‘I don’t consider myself a hero, I’m just a Londoner doing his bit’: Tour guide relives moment he confronted London Bridge terrorist and stamped on his hand forcing him to release one of his two kitchen knives
- EXCLUSIVE: Thomas Gray driving over London Bridge when he saw attacker
- He jumped out of vehicle with colleague and stamped on the knifeman’s hand
- Suspect released one of two eight-inch kitchen knives and it was kicked away
- Mr Gray said: ‘I don’t consider myself a hero, I’m just a Londoner doing his bit’
A fearless tour guide has described the moment he confronted the London Bridge attacker and stamped on his hand, forcing him to release one of two kitchen knives.
Thomas Gray, 24, and a colleague had just finished lunch in Borough Market when a knifeman wearing a fake suicide vest went on a rampage outside Bank station and Fishmongers’ Hall on the north side of the bridge, killing two.
The pair, who had been driving tourists around the capital in classic Mini Coopers, had been travelling over London Bridge to pick up some more customers at a hotel when they saw the knifeman being pinned to the floor.
Mr Gray and his colleague then bravely got out of their vehicles to help, as three other men attempted to keep the attacker on the ground.
Thomas Gray (pictured) has described the moment he confronted the London Bridge attacker and stamped on his hand, forcing him to release one of two kitchen knives
He said: ‘There were three big blokes grappling with another man and had him on the floor. I asked what was going on and someone said the man on the ground had just stabbed two women.
‘I saw that he had two kitchen knives with blades about 8-inches long. One In each hand. One of the knives appeared to be attached to his hand by duct tape.
‘I stamped as hard as I could on his other wrist to make him let go of the knife and as he released it someone else kicked it away.
‘He was saying “get off me” but we told him “no f***ing way is that happening”. The police were on the scene very quickly. The knifeman appeared to reach for something in bag and the police warned us to move away saying he had a gun.
‘Whether or not he did or whether the police were just trying to get us to move away, I don’t know. I saw the police shoot him three or four times and then heard a dull thud.’
Mr Gray had been travelling over London Bridge when he saw the knifeman being pinned to the floor by a group of bystanders (pictured)
One of the bystanders on London Bridge was seen holding a knife (left) which appeared to have been taken from the suspect. Another man – believed to be the shot knifeman – could be seen lying on the ground, close to a knife (circled, right)
The attacker was shot dead by armed police at around 2.03pm, just five minutes after Metropolitan Police received reports of a stabbing on the north side of the bridge.
It was later confirmed that two people had died as a result of the attack, with reports of up to twelve others injured.
‘This all happened on the north side of the bridge, near Monument tube station. On the junction by the bridge there was a minibus full of primary school children. They were ducking down under the windows,’ added Mr Gray.
‘I tried to reassure them and told them that they’d be OK. We were then moved away from the area by police. My cars are still on London Bridge, I don’t know when I can go and get them.’
Mr Gray, who works for a bespoke tour guide company called Small Car Big City added: ‘I don’t consider myself a hero, I’m just a Londoner doing his bit.’
The attacker was shot dead by armed police (pictured) at around 2.03pm, just five minutes after Metropolitan Police received reports of a stabbing