Wokingham’s leaders have paid tribute to the security forces and emergency services following Saturday’s terrorist attack in London.
Seven people died and 48 people were injured after three men first drove a hired van over London Bridge before getting out and attacking people with knives. The men were shot dead by police officers.
The attack came days before the General Election and just 24 hours before the One Love concert in Manchester, which aimed to raise money for the family of victims of a suicide bomber who attacked an Ariana Grande concert two weeks ago.
The statement, given today by the borough mayor, Cllr Rob Stanton, and the leader of Wokingham Borough Council, Cllr Charlotte Haitham Taylor, is as follows:
“It is with much sadness we again record lives lost and injuries sustained in the terror attacks in London Bridge on June 3, 2017
“Whenever evil threatens our way of life, we come together to defeat it. Any terrorist act, whether in London last Saturday night, or in Manchester, or on Westminster Bridge before that, saddens, angers and appals us. But it also hardens our resolve. These perpetrators delude themselves if they imagine that killing people in our country with knives, bombs and vehicles could possibly make us change our way of life.
“Throughout living memory, and beyond, many have tried to impose their twisted ideology on these islands by force – every attempt to do this has failed. British values and democracy will endure not only here but right across the country, as we will see when the General Election goes ahead this Thursday.
“We would like to pay tribute to our brave and dedicated security forces and emergency services, who once again risked their lives in London on Saturday night for our safety.
“We remember especially those who were injured, some of them heroic members of the public, whilst coming to the help of others and of the fantastic job that the NHS hospitals performed once more on our behalf.
“The Prime Minister said today that this is enough and it has to stop and we would wish to echo that.
“We live in an open democracy and we must protect it. and we really do need to see a change for the better.”
Cllr Rob Stanton,
Mayor of Wokingham Borough
Cllr Charlotte Haitham Taylor,
Leader of the Wokingham Borough Council
