Former Cambridge student was killed along with Jack Merritt, 25, in attack on Friday

The second victim of the London Bridge terror attack has been named by the Metropolitan police as Saskia Jones, 23, a former Cambridge University student from Stratford-upon-Avon.

Her family paid tribute to her on Sunday as a “funny, kind, positive influence at the centre of many people’s lives”.

“She had a wonderful sense of mischievous fun and was generous to the point of always wanting to see the best in all people,” they said in a statement. “She was intent on living life to the full and had a wonderful thirst for knowledge, enabling her to be the best she could be.

“Saskia had a great passion for providing invaluable support to victims of criminal injustice, which led her to the point of recently applying for the police graduate recruitment programme, wishing to specialise in victim support.

“This is an extremely painful time for the family. Saskia will leave a huge void in our lives and we would request that our privacy is fully respected.”

Jack Merritt: London Bridge attack victim described as 'best guy' Read more

Jones was named a day after Jack Merritt, 25, was identified by his father as the other person killed by Usman Khan in his knife attack at Fishmongers’ Hall on Friday. They had been attending an event to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Learning Together, a prison-based education project. Merritt’s father, David, described his son, who was a course coordinator for the project, as “a beautiful spirit who always took the side of the underdog”.

“Jack spoke so highly of all the people he worked with and he loved his job,” he added.

Prof Loraine R Gelsthorpe, the director of the Institute of Criminology at Cambridge, where both victims had studied, paid tribute to them in a statement on Sunday. She said Saskia’s “warm disposition and extraordinary intellectual creativity was combined with a strong belief that people who have committed criminal offences should have opportunities for rehabilitation.

“Though she completed her MPhil in criminology in 2018, her determination to make an enduring and positive impact on society in everything she did led her to stay in contact with the Learning Together community. They valued her contributions enormously and were inspired by her determination to push towards the good.”

She said everyone at the institute would “miss Jack’s quiet humour and rigorous intellect”, adding: “His determined belief in rehabilitation inspired him to join the institute as a staff member to work in the Learning Together research team after completing his MPhil in criminology in 2017.

“Jack’s passion for social and criminal justice was infectious. He was deeply creatively and courageously engaged with the world, advocating for a politics of love. He worked tirelessly in dark places to pull towards the light.”

Gelsthorpe also thanked other members of the Learning Together community “who bravely risked their own lives to hold off the attacker until the police arrived”.

Olivia Smith, a lecturer in criminology at Loughborough university, said: “Saskia Jones was one of those students makes you so proud to be in this job. I’m so sorry that the world won’t get to see what she could have achieved. She was one of a kind and loved justice, she would have been a force for good and I’m so sorry for us all that we’ve lost her.”

Cambridge University’s vice-chancellor, Prof Stephen J Toope, said on Sunday: “I am devastated to learn that among the victims of the London Bridge attack were staff and alumni of the University of Cambridge, taking part in an event to mark five years of the Learning Together programme.

“What should have been a joyous opportunity to celebrate the achievements of this unique and socially transformative programme, hosted by our Institute of Criminology, was instead disrupted by an unspeakable criminal act.”

He added: “Our university condemns this abhorrent and senseless act of terror. Our condolences, our thoughts and our deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families.”

Floral tributes have been laid on the south side of London Bridge and hundreds attended a service on Sunday at Southwark Cathedral for the victims of the attack. The cathedral, which is next to London Bridge, was put into lockdown during the attack with members of the public taking refuge in its walls. For many it brought back memories of the terror attack at nearby Borough Market in 2017.

The NHS said one of the people injured in the attack had been allowed to return home and two others remained in a stable condition.

Play Video 2:23 How the London Bridge terror attack unfolded – video report

Dr Vin Diwakar, the medical director for the NHS in London, paid tribute to hospital and ambulance staff.

“Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of those who sadly lost their lives,” he said. “One of the people injured in the London Bridge incident has now been able to return home. Two people remain in a stable condition and continue to receive expert care in hospital.

“While the NHS is now dealing with immediate physical injuries, the psychological impact of such events sometimes only comes to light in the days and weeks afterwards.”

PA Media contributed to this report