Family of murdered drummer visit Woolwich scene

Family of Drummer Lee Rigby visit Woolwich to leave wreaths, messages and make their own tribute.

Family of Drummer Lee Rigby visit Woolwich to leave wreaths and messages.

Hundreds of people in Woolwich looked on in respectful silence today during a twenty minute period when members of the family of murdered soldier Drummer Lee Rigby of the Royal Fusiliers visited the scene of his death and then the  entrance to Royal Artillery Barracks which has become another shrine of flowers and symbols left in his memory.

Lee Rigby’s relatives laid wreaths, marked “son,” “husband” and “brother,” with red and yellow flowers at the scene, a card tucked inside the wreath marked “husband” also read: “For my daddy.”

A message on the “husband” wreath read: “My hero, my soldier, my one true love. Until we meet again my angel I know you’ll be watching over me and Jack. Love always xxx.”

BBC report on the visit of Lee Rigby's family to Woolwich.

BBC report on the visit of Lee Rigby’s family to Woolwich.

One of the victim’s sisters placed a photo-frame including four pictures of them together. She wrote: “My brother, my best friend. So sorry this had to be you. Sleep well. Little sis, Sara xxxx.” On the wall next to it was placed a bottle of HP sauce with a note saying “Your favourite. Love little sis Sara.”

The soldier’s widow, Rebecca, tied a card to the signpost near where the soldier died, which read “in memory of my wonderful husband.”

Drummer Rigby is survived by his son Jack, who is two years old.

The family made tributes at an emotional press conference held on Friday.

Since the day of the incident condolences and expressions of sympathy have been left in their thousands from across the spectrum of the UK’s diverse population including a delegation representing Britain’s Nigerian community and multi-faith groups that today included the Woolwich Sikh Temple.

Sewa Singh Nandhra said: “We condemn what happened on Thursday in Woolwich,” he said. “It is sheer terrorism, despicable and awful.We condemn violence and all sorts of similar acts. No cause on earth to justify such a killing or an act. Our condolences and sympathies lie with the family.”

“We are parishioners and we have got to work to maintain the harmony between all the faiths and across all communities. We will work with them and I would urge everybody to support police to bring this episode to a satisfactory conclusion,” he added.

Help For Heroes- overwhelmed by public's response.

Help For Heroes- overwhelmed by public’s response.

The Charity Help For Heroes has been overwhelmed with donations and messages of sympathy. A Just Giving Remembering RIP Woolwich Soldier page has raised over £103,000.

Developments in murder inquiry- another arrest today.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, Senior National Coordinator Counter Terrorism and Head of the Counter Terrorism Command. Pic: Met Police

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, Senior National Coordinator Counter Terrorism and Head of the Counter Terrorism Command. Pic: Met Police

Three men arrested on Saturday as part of the Counter Terrorism Command inquiry into the murder of Drummer Rigby have been bailed Monday May 27 to return to a south London police station. One of the arrests involved the use of Taser on the Haddo estate, old Greenwich, close to Deptford Creek. A third took place in Charlton Lane, SE7 and also involved the deployment of Taser. There were no injuries. They were aged 21, 24, and 28.

Haddo Street area of old Greenwich- scene of arrests Saturday May 25. Pic: Google

Haddo Street area of old Greenwich- scene of arrests Saturday May 25. Pic: Google

On Bank Holiday Monday, detectives arrested a man, 50, in Upper Wickham Lane, Welling Kent  on suspicion of conspiracy to murder Drummer Lee Rigby. An address was also being searched in south east London.

This was in addition to a 22 year old man’s arrest in North London Sunday May 26 also on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.  Detectives from Counter Terrorism Command made the arrest with the support of armed officers in St Paul’s Road, in Highbury Grove at 2.35. He was taken into police custody at a south London station.

As of 18.45 Monday May 27, the Met Police say 10 people had been arrested by investigating officers.  Two men remained in hospital and would not be interviewed in relation to their arrests for murder until they had been discharged.  5 other men remained in custody after arrests for suspicion of conspiracy to murder. Three people had been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, Senior National Co-ordinator Counter Terrorism and head of the Metropolitan Police Service Counter Terrorism Command, has appealed to anyone who knew the two men shot and wounded and arrested for his murder to come forward with any “useful information.”

He said: “We have been undertaking a complicated and often rapidly developing round the clock investigation since the horrific murder of fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich on Wednesday afternoon. The Metropolitan Police Service Counter Terrorism Command, supported by national counter-terrorism officers and the Security Service, continue to work tirelessly and painstakingly to uncover the full circumstances relating to this attack.”

“We are pursuing a significant amount of CCTV, social media, forensic and intelligence opportunities and have active lines of inquiry. The two men arrested at the scene of the attack remain in hospital and will be formally interviewed when it is possible to do so. Three further men were arrested yesterday and they remain in custody at this time. This remains an ongoing investigation, focussed upon pubic safety and identifying any others that may be involved,” he said.

It is understood that more than 500 detectives, intelligence and police officers are working on what is being seen as the largest counter-terrorism inquiry since the suicide and attempted suicide bombings in London of 2005.

While the investigation is progressing well and the public have been “very supportive” he said “I now ask that anyone who knew the two men who carried out this attack to consider if they have any information which may be useful to contact us in the strictest of confidence.”

He added: “As I have often said we do need the help of communities to keep us safe and would urge anyone with information to contact the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.”

He continued: “We urge anyone who filmed or took photos as events unfolded in John Wilson Street to send moving or still images to police via woolwich@metincident.co.uk – please include your name and contact details, which will be treated in strict confidence. Anyone who may have such material is asked not to delete it after sending it in.”

In a further development announced Sunday, detectives from the MPS Counter Terrorism Command have been granted a warrant of further detention at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in relation to a 31 year old man arrested at the BBC on Friday night. This will expire on Friday, 31 May.

Abu Nusaybah was arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 by officers from the MPS Counter Terrorism Command on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

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