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A mother sacrificed herself by using her body to shield her five-year-old son from bullets when terrorists burst into the Bataclan concert hall.

Elsa Delplace, 35 tragically died in the massacre at the Eagles of Death Metal concert while trying to protect Louis.

Her mother Patricia San Martin, 61, also died sheltering her grandson from gunfire.

Cocooned between their bodies, Louis survived the horrific attack and was found covered in blood and distraught.

In a tribute to Ms Delplace in Le Point , her friend Silhem Souid wrote: "Elsa Delplace and her mother Patricia died on Friday under a hail of bullets inside Bataclan.

"Her son Louis, her ray of sunshine, was with them. Louis was found in Vincennes hospital, distraught and covered in his mother's blood who had protected him from the bullets.

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"Elsa was a joyous person who always had a smile on her lips, even at difficult times. She always cared about the welfare of others. She was involved in the voluntary, cultural and artistic worlds. She played the cello brilliantly.

"She always fought against injustice. I think it was due to her family history - her Chilean mother fled the dictatorship of Pinochet."

Recalling the moment she heard the tragic news, Ms Souid wrote: "When I received a message from a friend sending condolences for my friend Elsa, I thought it was a mistake or a cruel joke.

(Image: Vantagenews)

"The phone rang, which first of all reassured me, but then I remembered she liked rock and she often went for a drink in the bars in the 11th arrondissement.

"Doubt came over me, but I wouldn't believe it. When it was finally confirmed to me, I was completely destroyed."

A British couple who escaped the gunfire at Bataclan told today how they went back into the line of fire to save their friend.

(Image: Mirrorpix.com)

Fearless Maria and Patrick Moore, from Southampton, Hampshire, risked their lives to go back into the concert hall horror to save injured pal Brian Saunders.

The death toll from Bataclan stands at 89 people while hundreds more were injured.

Police are currently conducting a massive operation in the Parisian suburb Saint-Denis where the so-called 'mastermind' of the attacks is holed up inside an apartment.