Police arrest 12 people in Barking following London Bridge terror attack

Police forensic officers outside Borough Market today. Picture Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

A total of 12 people have been arrested during the operation at the Elizabeth Fry flats in King’s Road, at around 7am.

Seven people died after three suspects in a white van ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge just after 10pm last night.

The trio then went on to stab several people at Borough Market efore they were shot dead by armed police.

Witnesses reported hearing shots as the police stormed the building.

Veronica Oladapo, 45, who lives in a neighbouring block, left her building at around 7am to see police taking four men and a woman away.

She said: “When I came out they were already taking some of the casualties away.

“There were three of them ... the ambulance came and took them away.

“There were another two sitting down inside.”

One of the men had a hood pulled over his head while another one used a jacket to hide his face, she said.

Damien Pettit, who lives in the Elizabeth Fry block, was shown a photograph of one of the attackers.

He told Sky News he could not be certain it was the same person, but that it looked like a man who lived in the block.

Mr Pettit said: “If it is, I am completely shocked. He has lived here for three years.”

Adding that the man he knew had children, he continued: “I am kind of absorbing this at the moment because I can’t understand how it could have been him.

“He has always tried to help in terms of what is going on in the area.”

More than five hours after the first arrests, a woman in a burka was led into a police van parked outside the flats.

It then drove away with sirens blazing, followed by three other vans.

Furqan Nabi said he saw four men lying face down on the floor.

One looked over 50, and another man looked at least 60 years old and had a beard, the 35-year-old neighbour said.

A third man was in his late 20s or early 30s, he said. He could not see the fourth man properly.

Around 20 emergency services vehicles were present, he added.