Victim of London Bridge terror attack to sue dead attackers' estates

Peter Lunt suffered severe brain damage also taking insurers of attack van to court

The estates of the deceased London Bridge attackers - Khuram Butt, left, and Rachid Redouane, right, along with Youssef Zhagba - are being sued by Peter Lunt. AFP

A man who suffered severe brain damage during the London Bridge attack by an ISIS-inspired gang is to sue the estates of the dead terrorists.

Peter Lunt is also taking the same legal action against the insurers of a vehicle hire firm after one of its vans was used in the atrocity in which the extremists killed eight people in 2017.

A claim has been brought to the High Court in London by the 44-year-old after

He suffered severe brain damage when the 2.5 tonne Renault van ploughed into crowds walking over London Bridge just before 10pm on the Saturday 3 June.

The van, driven by Khuram Butt knocked one victim, Xavier Thomas, over the bridge railings and into the River Thames where he drowned.

After hitting Mr Lunt and his wife Tanya as well as several other pedestrians, the three terrorists, 27-year-old Butt, Youssef Zaghba, 22, and Rachid Redouane, 30, jumped out and went on a knife-rampage stabbing people at random as they were enjoying the restaurants and bars around Borough Market, south London.

ISIS later claimed it was responsible for the attack, which happened three months after a similar vehicle and knife attack on Westminster Bridge in which a policeman was killed.

In a night of bloodshed, the terror gang injured a further 48 people including Mr and Mrs Lunt and four unarmed police officers who attempted to stop the terrorists.

The rampage, which lasted for around 11 minutes, came to an end when the jihadists, who were wearing fake suicide vests, were shot dead by armed police officers.

Mr Lunt suffered brain damage and severe injuries down his left side which required eight months of hospital treatment.

He has submitted a claim to the High Court suing the estates of the two ringleaders of the gang, Khuram Butt and Youssef Zaghba.

Mr Lunt, from Spalding in Lincolnshire, is also taking legal action against Probus, who were the insurers for the company that hired out the Renault van. Other victims are taking similar action, the Mail on Sunday reported.

Night at the comedy turns into tragedy

Probus is reported to have already settled compensations claims with a number of the victims and relatives of some the dead earlier this year.

Mr Lunt had come to London with his wife Tanya, 46, for a weekend break and were crossing London Bridge after watching a comedy show

Mrs Lunt told the inquest held in London after the atrocity that she heard people screaming then someone shouting: “Run, run, there’s a van.”

“I think Pete shouted at me, “Run, we’ve got to run,” and we turned back to run in the direction of the Shard [building],” she told the hearing. “I had a feeling it was a terrorist attack.

“I was pushed, hit and then everything went black. I couldn’t see anything, just feel cold metal. I looked for Peter and I could see him lying in the road.”

A spokesman for Thompson Solicitors, specialists in pursuing personal injury claims, did not have a comment when contacted by The National.