The hero Sunday Express journalist seriously injured on 3 June after confronting three terrorists near London Bridge has returned to work.
Geoff Ho was put in intensive care after being stabbed in the neck and elsewhere when he confronted the three men who killed five people, and injured many more, after rampaging through the Borough area of London wielding knives and wearing phoney suicide vests.
Colleagues at Express Newspapers raised £1,500 each for two charities nominated by Ho: the London Air Ambulance and the British Red Cross.
He told Press Gazette: “I’m really glad to be back. The support from everyone at the Sunday Express and Express Newspapers has been fantastic. Everyone on Fleet Street has been wonderful, all the messages and calls have really meant a lot to me.
“It’s been a surreal couple of months with all the interviews, as a journalist I’m not used to answering the questions.”
Although he still has scars from his ordeal, he said he has made a good recovery – as has a friend who was with him and also injured in the attack.
Ho, a martial arts enthusiast, recalled coming to the aid of bouncers at the Southwark Tavern who were involved in an altercation. He had moved on to the Black and Blue restaurant when the three terrorists came in.
“At first I thought they were friends of the two bozos I’d helped get arrested. I quickly realised they weren’t when I saw the size of the knives and the suicide belts.”
Asked why he took a stand against them, he said: “There was nobody else to do it. I thought ‘if you don’t do something they are just going to have a field day’.
“They kicked in the door and they were screaming and said ‘everyone come out and get down on the fucking floor’.
“I said ‘no it’s not happening’.”
At that point he said that one of the men attacked him and stabbed him in the throat. He received another stab wound, as did the friend he was with, and the then attackers left.
Geoff Ho recieves some charitable donation cheques raised by print and web colleagues on his return to work at the Sunday Express. Presented by Editor Martin Townsend and his colleagues
© Sunday Express Picture by Mark Kehoe
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
