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Islamic state have claimed responsibility for the London Bridge terrorist attack that killed seven and the first victim has been identified.

A statement posted on the terror group's media page Amaq said: "A detachment of Islamic State fighters executed yesterday's London attack."

Canadian Chrissy Archibald from Castlegar, British Colombia, is among the seven people killed in the atrocity last night, a family spokesperson confirmed.

In a statement her family said: "We grieve the loss of our beautiful, loving daughter and sister.

"She had room in her heart for everyone and believed strongly that every person was to be valued and respected.

"She lived this belief working in a shelter for the homeless until she moved to Europe to be with her fiancé.

"She would have had no understanding of the callous cruelty that caused her death. Please honor her by making your community a better place. Volunteer your time and labor or donate to a homeless shelter. Tell them Chrissy sent you.”

The attack has left 21 people in a critical condition after the three terrorists drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing bystanders on Saturday night.

The terrorists were shot dead in a hail of 50 bullets by eight police officers.

(Image: i-Images Picture Agency)

Another victim is believed to be a French national, 27, who has not yet been named, and reportedly worked in Boro Bistro restaurant. He had been living in London for the past two years, according to Ouest France.

When police open fired, a member of the public was reportedly shot in the head after getting caught in the police crossfire, but survived, according to the Guardian.

(Image: Gabriele Sciotto)

A senior doctor at the Royal London Hospital told the newspaper the man was "absolutely not dying" and is expected to make a full recovery.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said armed officers fired an unprecedented number of rounds to make sure they had "neutralised the attackers", who initially appeared to be suicide bombers.

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Mr Rowley said: "The van mounted the pavement and collided with pedestrians before being abandoned where attackers were armed with knives, continued into the Borough Market area, stabbing numerous people.

(Image: Rex Features)

"The attackers were then confronted by the firearms officers and I can confirm eight police firearms officers discharged their weapons.

"While this will be subject to an investigation by the IPCC, our initial assessment is in the region of 50 rounds, 50 bullets were fired by those eight officers. The three attackers were shot dead.

"The situation these officers were confronted with was critical - a matter of life and death - three armed men wearing what appeared to be suicide belts.

(Image: Rex Features)

"They had already attacked and killed members of the public and had to be stopped immediately.

"Indeed, I’m not surprised with what they must have feared were three suicide bombers the firearms officers fired an unprecedented number of rounds to be completely confident they had neutralised the threat that those men posed."

He said police are making "significant progress" in identifying the three attackers.

Four police officers are among the total of 48 following last night's attack night.

Three men launched the frenzied and murderous rampage around Borough Market in central London as revellers were out enjoying their evening.

NHS England confirmed this afternoon that 21 of the people injured in the terror attack are in a critical condition.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that a Canadian national was killed in the attack.

In a statement Mr Trudeau said: "Canada strongly condemns the senseless attack that took place last night in London, United Kingdom, which killed and injured many innocent people.

"I am heartbroken that a Canadian is among those killed."

Witnesses described attackers slashing throats, faces and stomachs of their victims with 12inch knives.

One man told BBC news he heard them shouting "this is for Allah".

So far police have arrested 12 people in connection with the attacks as they raided addresses in Barking, East London.

All of those arrested have been detained under the Terrorism Act.

(Image: MAGIC MOMENTS UK)

Pictures showed two suspects lying on the floor after being neutralised.

They had cannisters strapped to their chests which police later said were fake suicide vests.

One of them was wearing an Arsenal away shirt from the 2011/12 season, combat trousers and canisters strapped around his torso.

Terrified people ran for their lives, hiding behind tables and chairs and in basements as some hurled bottles at the attackers, as staff tried to lock doors.

One witness said she saw at least three people stabbed and their throats cut by attackers wielding 12inch-long blades as terror returned to the capital.

(Image: Sky News)

Among the injured are an off-duty Metropolitan police officer, who tackled one of the knifemen, and a British Transport Police officer, who took on the knifemen with his baton.

The BTP officer, who was less than two years into his job, was one of the first on the scene after he responded to calls for help from the public after a vehicle ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge.

He suffered face, head and leg injuries as a result but is in a stable condition.

BTP chief constable Paul Crowther, who visited the officer in hospital, said he showed "enormous courage in the face of danger".

He said: "Although he is seriously unwell, he was able to recount how he faced the attackers armed only with his baton, outside London Bridge station.

"For an officer who only joined us less than two years ago, the bravery he showed was outstanding and makes me extremely proud.

"All of us at BTP wish him a swift recovery, and I know he will be touched by the hundreds of messages of support from across the UK and the world.

"Our thoughts are with all of those who died or were injured, and their loved ones as they try to come to terms with what happened."

Hundreds of people fled for their lives as there were reports of shots being fired and of at least seven people being stabbed.

(Image: Sky News)

Witnesses told of bodies "strewn" along the road after the van caused carnage at 50mph just after 10pm.

The knifemen were said to have begun "randomly stabbing people" along Borough High Street, which leads on to London Bridge, after leaping from the vehicle.

That led to police declaring a second incident at adjacent Borough Market - in the direction the attackers, described as being of Mediterranean appearance, were heading.

Witnesses said two men entered a restaurant and stabbed two people inside. Around 30 police stormed an address on the corner of Borough High Street and shouted “get down” as quick bursts of gunfire could also be heard.

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An Asian man, around 5ft 6ins and in his mid-30s was arrested and had both hands tied behind his back as more than 10 cops surrounded him.

The bomb squad were on the scene with boats searching the Thames.

A string of witnesses told of the horror unfolding in front of them close to London Bridge rail and Tube station.

Fred Horsall, 56, an electrician from Tottenham, said: "I saw people dying in front of me, I was coming out of the station. I could hear gunfire.

"I saw two young ladies in their 20s who both died in front of me. The paramedics were working on them and then had to give up and they were covered over.

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"There were another three people on the ground including one man aged about 45 who was badly injured. He was English and he was with his wife who was also English.

"She was crying. His face was all smashed in and he was breathing deeply. He was struggling for breath and he was hanging on to life."

A cab driver said he saw the men jump out of the van. He said: "They just had these long blades, about 12 inches long. They just went randomly along Borough High Street stabbing people.

"A young girl got stabbed in the chest, she was laying there – it’s so sad."

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The cabbie told how he tried to run one of the attackers down in a desperate bid to stop bloodshed.

He added: “'I thought, 'I’m gonna try and hit him, I’m gonna try and knock him down'. I spun the cab round, I was about to ram one of them, but he side-stepped and three police officers came running towards them with their batons drawn.

"I was shouting at everybody, just get away from the area, stay back, just run the other way. There were a good few hundred people out there."

(Image: AFP) (Image: Twitter/Hatzola)

The cabbie said the van had crashed to a halt close to the steps of Southwark Cathedral, on the south side of the bridge.

He went on: "He’s veered across the road towards the right hand of where Southwark Cathedral is and rammed it where the steps are.

"He just rammed it towards them, wedged it in between the lamppost and the steps and so he’s hit people there. They jumped out of the van and started stabbing people randomly. There was a scattering of people.”

At first it appeared to be a copy of the recent Westminster Bridge attack - but this time there were up to five terrorists involved, not one.

Witness Mark Roberts said: "I was on London Bridge and saw a van coming across at high speeds swerving off the pavement. It knocked over several people and came within about 20 yards of where I was before it swerved across the road and directly opposite me knocked someone nearly 20ft in the air.

"The van then carried on across the bridge and I think it hit a bus stop and came to a halt further down the road.

"Within my line of sight there were five or six bodies that I could see on the ground, people who were not moving. Everybody gathered around to help them and now it is a mass of police and paramedics on the bridge.”

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Bursts of gunfire were heard as witnesses described how one man was held after police stormed towards a house in Southwark.

Armed police were quickly on the scene as the whole area was brought to a standstill and traffic stopped in both directions.

With at least one attacker still on the loose police tweeted advice to Londoners saying “run, hide, tell”.

The tweet urged anyone caught up in an attack: "Turn your phone to silent and turn off vibrate. Barricade yourself in if you can.”

In horrifying footage taken from the scene, police could be heard shouting "clear the area, NOW" while screaming people can be seen running in fear for their lives.

One terrified woman said she was at a restaurant and police swarmed on the area.

She said police were shooting. "We had to run," she said. "There was loads of shooting."

Other passers-by were ushered into the Barrowboy and Banker pub for safety. Witnesses said there were several people on the ground receiving CPR after being stabbed.

BBC reporter Holly Jones was on London Bridge at the time and said the van missed her by just 6ft – then hit a crowd of pedestrians.

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She immediately filed a bulletin, telling Radio 5 Live listeners: "A white van driver came speeding – probably about 50mph – veered off the road into the crowds of people who were walking along the pavement.

"He swerved right round me and then hit about five or six people. He hit about two people in front of me and then three behind.

"I was probably two metres away. I saw it hit the people in front of me. I feel just so lucky now.

"It was all a blur, but as much as I can remember it was a male on their own driving the van.

"There are five people on the floor being attended to. There are loads of city police officers helping and boats on the Thames searching."

Police in bars at the scene told people to get down on the floor.

One shocked witness said he had seen three fatalities.

The traumatised 23-year-old man said: "Our taxi passed Costa Coffee where there was some guy lying on the ground, blood coming from his head. Further up, a policeman was lying completely motionless. He was propped against a wall. There was a lot of blood.

"I think I saw at least three people dead, but maybe more."

Tony Murphy, who lives in Lower Thames Street, reported hearing "rapid gunfire".

He said: "The police response was incredibly quick. The helicopters were up within 10 minutes and police cars went speeding past."

(Image: REUTERS) (Image: London News Pictures Ltd)

Jamie, a witness who was in a restaurant on Rochester Walk near London Bridge, said: "We were in the Black and Blue restaurant, we heard a fight and everyone got up and everyone rushed out of the restaurant and we heard a massive, massive bang.

"Then we hid under the table and people came into the restaurant and knocked a bunch of stuff over, like the till.

"And then we ran into the restaurant into the kitchen, where there was a bunch of other people and a guy had been stabbed and he was cut and he was bleeding quite a lot."

He added that they waited in the kitchen for "quite a while" before they were evacuated.

A female companion said: "We were in the restaurant and we just saw three guys come into the restaurant, stabbed someone in the face and someone in the stomach.

"One of them had a big knife, then he came in and walked around the restaurant, I guess they just kind of stabbed anyone that they saw and knocked things on the ground and then we just hid."

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(Image: Twitter/indykaila) (Image: Twitter/indykaila) (Image: Twitter/indykaila)

Another witness in the London Bridge area, Thomas Daly, was watching the Champions League final in The Sheaf when he saw security people running outside towards the entrance.

He tried to leave when the match finished but found the doors were closed and they were unable to leave.

The 36-year-old, from Liverpool, said: "People were saying there had been a stabbing at Borough Market and they locked us in.

"We sat down again and some minutes later people started coming into the bar and people were getting a bit hysterical.

"A lot of people were streaming through the rear exit and we went outside and heard gunshots.

"I heard gunshots, at least two gunshots, and at that point the people who were trying to get out the back entrance came back inside.

"We went outside to the back, there was the gunfire and then we decided to come back in again."

Armed police then came into the bar and evacuated people, he added.

(Image: PA)

(Image: PA)

Retired bankers Jacky and David Dickson were having dinner at Applebees fish restaurant when the incident unfolded at Borough Market.

The pair were on holiday in the UK having moved to Burlington, Canada, 40 years ago.

Jacky said: "We were just about to pay our bill when a young girl came haring in and said there was a man with a machete outside.

"The staff rushed everybody upstairs. There were about 35 of us in an airless room for about an hour and a half.

"We had no idea what was going to happen. We were all trying to be positive but we were absolutely terrified. We tried to stay down as there was a small area where a gunman could have shot through.

"Then, we heard gunshots. There was a bit of a lull then more. Then, the police came and told us to run downstairs with our hands on our heads.

"I think there were bodies but I chose not to look. What a wicked world this is for my grandchildren to grow up in."

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Today, 31-year-old Candice Hedge, one of two Australians injured in the attack, spoke out on social media.

Candice, 31, was having dinner with her boyfriend when she was stabbed in the neck.

She had finished working as a waitress at Elliot’s restaurant in London Bridge.

(Image: Facebook)

Candice was sitting at the bar having a drink when a man came up behind her, grabbed her head and slashed her throat with a knife.

She is being treated at St Thomas’ hospital, was briefly in a coma but is now awake and speaking with friends.

The Brisbane woman, who moved to London about six months ago, wrote on Facebook: “Hey everyone, just so you know im doing ok. Bit of pain but I will survive. Thanks for your thoughts and well wishes. Love to all.(sic).”

(Image: PA)

(Image: Sky News) (Image: PA)

Prime Minister Theresa May returned to Downing Street and chaired an emergency meeting of Cobra today to co-ordinate a response to the attacks.

She vowed for a tough crackdown on too-tolerant communities and tech giants as she warned of a "new trend" of terror and said "enough is enough".

The White House said US president Donald Trump had been briefed on the incident.

He tweeted: "Whatever the United States can do to help out in London and the U. K., we will be there - WE ARE WITH YOU. GOD BLESS!"

Traumatised survivors were being sheltered at The Royal Oak pub near Borough station.

Many were in tears and one young man was so distressed he vomited.

Some had been evacuated from nearby hotels, such at the Premier Inn.

Big hearted Londoners arrived in their droves to offer blankets and bottles of water.

Employee Robert Burgen, 60, said: "All I heard was screaming as people were being told to run.

"We tried to get the kids off the road in case something else was about to happen. The street next to us has been cordoned off.

"Like always, the majority of people in London are coming together and doing what they can."