The death toll from the London Bridge terror attack has risen to eight after detectives searching for French national recovered a body from the Thames near Limehouse.

Xavier Thomas, 45, is thought to have been struck by the terrorists’ van on the bridge and witnesses reported him being thrown into the water.

The body was recovered near Limehouse, downstream of London Bridge, at around 7.45pm on Tuesday by specialist officers from the marine police unit.

His next of kin have been informed, Scotland Yard said.

It comes as the siblings of a 39-year-old banker said their brother was one of the eight people killed in the attack.

Ignacio Echeverria was last seen lying on the ground near London Bridge after he confronted the assailants with a skateboard.

His sister Isabel wrote on Facebook: “My brother Ignacio tried to stop some terrorists and lost his life trying to save others.”

Minute's silence on London Bridge for attack victims

Earlier, France said two of its citizens had died when three men drove a van into revellers before going on a stabbing spree in central London on Saturday night.

The foreign ministry said that a third French national was still missing and four were seriously injured.

Le Parisien daily newspaper named the second Frenchman to die in the attack as 36-year-old Sebastian Belanger.

London Bridge Terror Attack Show all 16 1 /16 London Bridge Terror Attack London Bridge Terror Attack Armed police on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Police Officers outside the Barrowboy and Banker Public House on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Armed police on Borough High Street as police deal with a 'major incident' at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Emergency services near the scene of the incident Screengrab London Bridge Terror Attack People run down Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge Reuters London Bridge Terror Attack Emergency services arrive at the scene near Borough market at London Bridge Carl Court/Getty Images London Bridge Terror Attack Emergency personnel on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Police sniffer dogs on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack A second helicopter lands on London Bridge as police are responding to three incidents in the capital, amid reports that a vehicle collided with pedestrians on London Bridge, Scotland Yard said. Officers are dealing with reports of stabbings in Borough Market, where armed officers attended and shots were fired. They are also at an incident in the Vauxhall area PA London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London REUTERS London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters London Bridge Terror Attack A police officer escorts members of the public to safety at London Bridge Getty Images London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident near London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters

In addition to the eight killed, 48 were injured in the knife and vehicle assault on London Bridge and Borough Market's nearby bars and restaurants.

Nathalie Cros Brohan, sister of Mr Thomas's girlfriend Christine Delcros, posted on Facebook on Wednesday morning that the family "fear the worst".

Mr Thomas had been missing since he was caught up in the attack with Ms Delcros.

The couple, who were visiting London for the weekend, were walking south over London Bridge around the time the attack started, according to police.