I saw evil as attacker tried to barge into synagogue, rabbi tells BBC

The rabbi of the Manchester synagogue has told the BBC "I saw evil, I saw hate" describing the moment the attacker tried to batter his way inside the building.

Rabbi Daniel Walker described the moment he and others held the doors of Heaton Park synagogue as Jihad Al-Shamie was "body charging the doors, throwing heavy plant pots, doing whatever he could to get in".

Praising the quick-thinking of those at the synagogue, rabbi Walker said: "I saw genuine heroism, I have to say, and people who ran to help others rather than running away. It was astonishing."

Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, both died after a man drove into people and stabbed a man on Thursday.

Three others remain in hospital with serious injuries. Police have named Jihad Al-Shamie, who was shot dead at the scene, as the attacker and are treating the attack as a terror incident.

One of the victims killed in the attack was hit by police gunfire, Greater Manchester Police has said.

Rabbi Walker said the incident happened before the Yom Kippur service was in full flow, and later there would have been hundreds of people in attendance.

He said: "If one gentleman in particular hadn't acted as quickly as he did and got the doors locked, [we] can imagine what would have happened."