London Evening Standard/London


The heroism of three women who risked their lives confronting the Woolwich terrorists was yesterday hailed by politicians.
In a show of “remarkable” courage, one woman was seen shielding the victim with her body, while another woman stood nearby.
A third, Cub Scout leader Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, challenged the blood-soaked killers after leaping off her bus when she saw the soldier lying in the road and went to check his pulse.
The 48-year-old mother-of-two then attempted to keep the knife-wielding men busy, talking to them for 20 minutes in order to distract them from targeting others.
When asked yesterday if she feared for her life, she replied: “Better me than the children. There were mothers with children. It was important.”
She told ITV’s Daybreak yesterday: “I saw a man on the road, obviously injured and a car badly crashed. I assumed it was a road accident, although the car was funny — on the pavement — it was not on the road.
“When I approached the body, there was a lady cradling him and then the guy, the most excited one of the two, said, ‘Don’t go too close to the body’.
“I could see a butcher’s knife and, you know, these axes butchers have to cut. That’s what he had, and blood all over him.”
The calmness of ordinary Londoners in the face of Wednesday’s horror was yesterday praised by the authorities.
Teachers at a nearby school who calmly ushered children inside and protected them from the horror taking place were among those singled out for praise.
After hearing about Loyau-Kennett’s actions, mayor of London Boris Johnson led calls for her and others who had shown bravery during the attack to be honoured.
“The courage shown by those caught up in the horrific attack was astonishing,” he told the Standard after leaving a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee.
“To offer help and comfort to the victim, to face down warped, twisted and violent men, it says so much about the people of this country and sits in such stark contrast to the cowardice of the attackers.
“The men and women who stood firm should rightly be honoured for their bravery.”
Loyau-Kennett said that the terrorist she spoke to was brandishing a knife while he told her that the attack was payback for “all the bomb droppings and killings”. He and his accomplice had just tried to behead the off-duty soldier after crashing their car.
They then talked to members of the public as they apparently waited for the police to arrive, before charging at officers brandishing a revolver, knives and meat cleavers.
Labour MP for Greenwich and Woolwich Nick Raynsford said: “We have seen the very best of human nature, as well as the very worst.
“I would want to see appropriate recognition for these civilians that responded magnificently to a horrific incident without regard to their own lives. It’s truly remarkable.
As the attackers ranted in the street, another woman crouched over the victim’s body, comforting and stroking him as he lay in the road dying of his injuries.