Selkirk pair caught up in London horror

Selkirk couple Bryan and Helen Hoggan’s perfect anniversary weekend was thrown into chaos as they were caught up in London’s terrorist attack on Friday.
Bryan and Helen Hoggan in London at the weekend.Bryan and Helen Hoggan in London at the weekend.
Bryan and Helen Hoggan in London at the weekend.

The couple were enjoying a long weekend to celebrate their seventh wedding anniversary, but found themselves amongst people fleeing the London Bridge area as convicted terrorist Usman Khan was shot by police after he had attacked and killed two people with a knife.

Bryan told us: “We had been out for the day and were heading back to the bridge as we heard the two shots, and I thought it was just something to do with the time.

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“But then people were running past us, one of them shouting that there was a terrorist and there was a bomb.

“That was the only frightening moment as we had no way of knowing if a terrorist was among the people running towards us.

“Then another round of shots struck up, about a dozen, and we were running with everyone else.

“Thankfully, we were ushered into a cafe until we were allowed to leave.

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“It’s strange, as you see these things happening on the news and you wonder what it would be like being caught up in it.

“The police were on the situation very quickly, and although the bridge and the underground stations were closed, London just went on.

“We were able to carry on our holiday as if nothing had happened and we went to see Wicked in the west end that night.

“It wasn’t until later when I realised that we had decided to stop for a quick lunch before heading to the bridge.

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“If we hadn’t, we would have been even closer to the attack.”

Khan had already stabbed Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones to death in nearby Fishmongers’ Hall before heading to the bridge, where he was tackled by three civilians and shot dead by police.