Londoners come to aid of strangers caught up in attacks

Offers made on social media to people stranded in city


Dozens of Londoners and businesses opened their doors to people stranded in the capital on Saturday night after the London Bridge attack by sharing offers on social media.

Several Twitter users posted offers of help to those in need of accommodation during the security lock-down, using the hashtag #SofaForLondon.

Singer and broadcaster Mo Ansar tweeted: “Mosques, churches, temples and gurdwareh are open for the public in London. Seek shelter, food and safety if you need it.”

Witnesses also reported hotels and restaurants on the southern bank of the Thames giving people shelter and water as they tried to make their way home.

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Guests at some hotels in the vicinity of the attacks were evacuated during the security operation, while security services carried out a number of controlled explosions.

One young man who benefited from local solidarity was George Moss (22) who was offered a bed for the night by two strangers after being left stranded in the city.

Mr Moss, originally from Guernsey, also lost his phone during the evening, which meant he initially had no way of contacting family or friends to ask for a bed to stay.

After borrowing a phone from a reporter at the scene, he was able to get in touch with Holly Robinson and Mary Lynch, who tweeted that strangers with nowhere else to stay could crash at their home in Vauxhall.

Ms Lynch (23) from Nottingham, said: "I think we saw when things (terror attacks) had happened in Orlando and Manchester and thinking if I had been in that situation I would want to know that people were going to open up their homes."

PA