Hero security guard recognised for bravery after Leicester Square attack

LONDON: The hero Pakistani security guard from Abbotabad who helped disarm an alleged knife attacker in Leicester Square has been recognised for his bravery at the Pakistan High Commission in London.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) confirmed it was “providing consular assistance” to two injured Australians after Monday’s attack in the busy London Square which came just days after the UK race riots.

The 29-year-old security guard, known as Abdullah, told Geo News that he was at work at the store when he heard a scream before running towards the incident and saving the life of a minor girl who was stabbed repeatedly.

An 11-year-old girl was allegedly stabbed “eight times” by Ioan Pintaru, 32. The Metropolitan Police said she suffered serious injuries that are not life-threatening.

The girl’s 34-year-old mother was initially thought to have been hurt, but blood from her daughter’s injuries had been mistaken for her injuries, police said.

On Pakistan’s Independence Day, Abdullah was made the guest of honour at Pakistan High Commission.

He told the audience: “I would say that I’m a brave person. We Pakistanis are brave by heart. So I wasn’t scared. I’ve never seen anything like it before, it was horrible. I didn’t care for my life when I saw the attacker. I decided to tackle him to the ground to save the life.”

After the event, Abdullah told Geo News he was surprised when he saw the people either running away from the scene or making videos, instead of helping the family. Since then he has been called the “Hero of Leicester Square”.

Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Dr Mohammad Faisal said Abdullah had saved a life through his heroic deed. “This is real Pakistan to the world. We are proud of what Abdullah did," he said.

At the Pakistan High Commission, hundreds who were in attendance queued to take pictures with Abdullah.

Pintaru has been charged with the attempted murder of the girl and possession of a bladed article in a public place, said in court to be a steak knife.

He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday wearing a grey prison-issue sweatshirt.

The court heard Pintaru is a Romanian citizen of no fixed address and the charges were read to him through an interpreter during the 10-minute hearing.

Prosecutor David Burns said a woman and her 11-year-old daughter were in Leicester Square as tourists when a man “approached the girl, placed her into a headlock, he then stabbed her eight times”.

He said she was wounded in the face, shoulder, wrist and neck area.

The court heard that members of the public intervened and when police arrived they found a man being held on the ground.

Burns told the court that the girl was still in hospital undergoing treatment and required plastic surgery.