How the heroes of multicultural London fought back against the terrorists

Three terrorists jumped out of a van on London Bridge on Saturday night, wielding long knives and intent on killing as many fellow human beings as possible.

As details of their eight minute rampage begin to emerge, and their cruelty is laid bare, another theme also takes hold: a snapshot of London, in all its diverse and multicultural glory.

The victims and the heroes of the tragedy came from all over the world but they were together in SE1 on 3 June 2017 (days before the UK was due to vote in the "Brexit election") relaxing and working at the heart of a truly global city.

The heroes

Romanian Florin Morariu was working at the Bread Ahead bakery in Borough Market when the terrorists struck.

"They (fellow Londoners) were fainting, falling and we went outside to see what was happening," he said.

When he saw an innocent bystander being stabbed he momentarily froze before running towards the knifeman and hitting him over the head with a bread crate.

Spaniard Sergio Farina overseeing a busy evening service at his restaurant, Arthur Hooper's, when the attackers charged into Borough Market.

Together with his staff, he ushered his diners out of the terraced area and into the eatery.

CCTV footage shows Farina bravely going to unlock the door as a stranded member of the public flees the attackers.Farina then began closing the shop shutters just as at least two of the jihadis banged on the windows.

One of the armed men tried to enter the restaurant but Farino single-handedly fought back, pushing and pulling as assailant, who was wearing a fake suicide vest, tried to open the door.

Eventually, the attacker gave up, leaving Farina and his 28 terrified customers to reflect on just how close they came to losing their lives.

Farina's fellow countrymen Ignacio Echeverria, 39-year-old HSBC employee, was heading home from a skateboarding session when he saw a woman being stabbed on the pavement.

The Poplar resident selflessly confronted the attacker and tried to beat him away with his skateboard. He was stabbed himself and last seen by friends lying on the pavement.

The same friends have been unable to locate Echeverria and fears for his status are growing.

Italian bouncer Joe Palermo was came to the rescue of a woman who had had her throat cut near London Bridge and was desperately walking the pavement.

He got her to safety inside a nearby pub and then armed himself with a fire extinguisher and kitchen knife shuold the attackers return

The dead

The first of the dead to be named was Canadian Christine Archibald, known as "Chrissy". The 30-year-old died in her fiance Tyler Ferguson's arms. The pair were living together in the Netherlands.

"Last night in London my baby brother lost the love of his life," Ferguson's sister Cassie said. "In a split second his entire life was ripped away from him."

French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that a French national was among the dead.

Le Telegramme report that it is a 27-year-old named Alexandre from Saint-Malo, in north-west France, who had lived in London for two years.

He was working at the Boro Bistro restaurant on Borough High Street when the marausing jihadis struck.

Colleague Vincent Le Berre said: "A customer was killed. I found myself facing the terrorist two metres away. I saw the hatred in his eyes.

"I managed to escape but my friend, Alexandre, did not have a chance. He was stabbed in the neck with a knife."

The missing

Also among the missing is Australian Sara Zelenak. The 21-year-old nanny, originally from Brisbane, was separated from friends near London Bridge during the attack and has not been seen or heard from since.

French chef Sebastien Belanger, who works at a restaurant in London's financial district, has also not been heard from since the attack. He was last seen by friends he was watching football with in the Barrowboy and Banker, the first establishment the terrorists struck.

Fellow french national Xavier Thomas is also missing. His girlfriend Christine Delcros is in hospital with serious injuries.

Injured people from Germany and New Zealand have also been confirmed.