The Muslim woman who was photographed looking at her phone while walking across Westminster Bridge has today hit back at trolls for targeting her by revealing her thoughts at the time were of 'sadness, fear and concern'.

A picture of her holding one hand to her head while walking past a victim during the terrorist attack on Wednesday circulated on social media.

She was criticised when a row broke out online with one social media user accusing her of 'casually' strolling past the injured woman.

But the woman, who has not been named, defended herself today and said that she had helped victims and was 'devastated' after witnessing the attack.

This is the photograph which sparked a huge online debate after trolls targeted the innocent woman - with one person claiming she ignored a victim of the terror attack

But people jumped to her defence when a photograph showed that she looked distressed and horrified after walking down Westminster Bridge

She said: 'I'm shocked and totally dismayed at how a picture of me is being circulated on social media.

'To those individuals who have interpreted and commented on what my thoughts were in that horrific and distressful moment, I would like to say not only have I been devastated by witnessing the aftermath of a shocking and numbing terror attack, I've also had to deal with the shock of finding my picture plastered all over social media by those who could not look beyond my attire, who draw conclusions based on hate and xenophobia.

'My thoughts at that moment were one of sadness, fear, and concern.

'What the image does not show is that I had talked to other witnesses to try and find out what was happening, to see if I could be of any help, even though enough people were at the scene tending to the victims.

'I then decided to call my family to say that I was fine and was making my way home from work, assisting a lady along the way by helping her get to Waterloo station.

'My thoughts go out to all the victims and their families. I would like to thank Jamie Lorriman, the photographer who took the picture, for speaking to the media in my defence.'

The woman gave her heartfelt account to Tell MAMA, which supports victims of anti-Muslim hate, and they released her statement this afternoon.

It comes after photographer, Mr Lorriman, 28, defended her and said that he thought she looked 'horrified' and 'distressed'.

The woman was criticised for allegedly appearing indifferent to the attack in London on Wednesday by one social media user – but others leapt to her defence

The man responsible for the terrorist attack in Westminster has been identified as Khalid Masood, 52

Speaking to MailOnline, the freelance photographer originally from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, said: 'I was underneath the bridge taking pictures of Parliament when I saw something being rescued from the river.

'I now know that it was the body of the woman who either jumped or fell from Westminster Bridge.

'I was only on the bridge for a couple of minutes and I saw a woman lying on the floor after being hit.

Mr Lorriman, who lives in London, added: 'I saw dozens of people walk past and the woman on the phone had just come from the part of the bridge where most of the victims were struck.

THE WOMAN'S STATEMENT IN FULL 'I'm shocked and totally dismayed at how a picture of me is being circulated on social media. 'To those individuals who have interpreted and commented on what my thoughts were in that horrific and distressful moment, I would like to say not only have I been devastated by witnessing the aftermath of a shocking and numbing terror attack, I've also had to deal with the shock of finding my picture plastered all over social media by those who could not look beyond my attire, who draw conclusions based on hate and xenophobia. 'My thoughts at that moment were one of sadness, fear, and concern. 'What the image does not show is that I had talked to other witnesses to try and find out what was happening, to see if I could be of any help, even though enough people were at the scene tending to the victims. 'I then decided to call my family to say that I was fine and was making my way home from work, assisting a lady along the way by helping her get to Waterloo station. 'My thoughts go out to all the victims and their families. I would like to thank Jamie Lorriman, the photographer who took the picture, for speaking to the media in my defence'. Advertisement

'That is why she clearly looks mortified and it is obvious that she is in shock. The woman would have seen people under buses - she had just walked past the worst of it.

'She wasn't the only one walking past injured people and it looked like she just wanted to get off the bridge as quickly as possible.

'I took three photographs where you can see the woman and I think she looks distressed in all of them.'

One Twitter, one user called 'Texas Lone Star' posted a picture of the woman walking past the injured victim, criticising her in a tweet to his 44,000 followers.

A woman, known as Shannon, was quick to jump to the woman's defence and write that it was 'cruel' to judge the woman

One Twitter user called 'Texas Lone Star' posted a picture of the woman walking past the injured victim, criticising her in a tweet to his 44,000 followers

He said: 'Muslim woman pays no mind to the terror attack, casually walks by a dying man while checking phone #PrayForLondon #Westminster #BanIslam.'

But his tweet provoked disgust, with other users criticising his comments and one branding him 'the real monster here'.

One named Vicky Forster told him: 'You are a complete embarrassing mess of a person. Kindly crawl back to the pond you came out of. Stupidity embodied.'

And Lisa Scott defended the woman, adding: 'She looks terrified. Which she would be, most likely being British and bang in the middle of a terror attack.'

A Twitter user called Shannon wrote: 'People so quick to judge the Muslim woman on the bridge. How cruel... ridiculing behind your screen yet she's living that horror.'

The tweet provoked disgust, with other users criticising his comments and one branding him 'the real monster here'

And a user called Kelly Blackwell‏ tweeted: 'You have no idea what is happening in this picture and deciding to make your own context #banracists #banrednecks.'

Other social media users pointed out that there is little context to the picture, while some suggested she could have been calling her family to say she was safe.

Meanwhile, it was also highlighted that other people of different ethnic backgrounds were photographed walking past victims on the ground - yet their picture was not shared on social media.

A path of destruction was left on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday when terrorist Khalid Masood drove a 4x4 Hyundai into crowds of people.

The death toll has now risen to five after 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes, from Streatham, south London, had his life machine switched off.

Aysha Frade, a teacher in her 40s, was killed after she was struck down by the Hyundai and thrown under a double decker bus.

American Kurt Cochran, 54, was killed while celebrating his 25th anniversary with his wife Melissa when he was hit and ended up on the ground beneath the bridge.

Metropolitan police officer Keith Palmer, 48, was fatally stabbed after Masood crashed the car and used a blade outside Parliament.