The woman who became famous for standing up to the EDL with a smile was reunited with the person she was defending from them.

Saffiyah Khan was pictured smiling down at Ian Crossland, the leader of the extreme far-right party, after members of the EDL reportedly threatened Saira Zafar, who was wearing a hijab.

The two had never met before, but Ms Khan said that when she saw that Ms Zafar was surrounded by people and looked intimidated, she felt she had to step in.

Ms Zafar explained: “They were saying, ‘You’re not English,’ ‘This is a Christian country, not your country,’ and ‘Go back to where you came from.’ I was alarmed and worried for my safety.”